Chapter 10 of Black Pawl is here in full — 170 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of Black Pawl is here in full — 170 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Black Pawl was right. There was wind coming, and plenty of it--too much of it. It began cheerfully enough--just a brisk breeze across a sunlit sea. But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in. It was time.
Chapter 10 of Black Pawl is here in full — 170 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
quick and energetic
From this reading “It began cheerfully enough--just a brisk breeze across a sunlit sea.”
a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)
From this reading “But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.”
in a cheerful manner
From this reading “It began cheerfully enough--just a brisk breeze across a sunlit sea.”
plural of “deck” — any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading “But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.”
the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
From this reading “But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.”
past form of “obscure” — make less visible or unclear
From this reading “But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.”
past form of “poke” — poke or thrust abruptly
From this reading “But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.”
lighted by sunlight
From this reading “It began cheerfully enough--just a brisk breeze across a sunlit sea.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It began cheerfully enough--just a brisk breeze across a sunlit sea.
higher than, or over, something
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading It began cheerfully enough--just a brisk breeze across a sunlit sea.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There was wind coming, and plenty of it--too much of it.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading It began cheerfully enough--just a brisk breeze across a sunlit sea.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Black Pawl was right.
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading It began cheerfully enough--just a brisk breeze across a sunlit sea.
quick and energetic
From this reading It began cheerfully enough--just a brisk breeze across a sunlit sea.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
in a cheerful manner
From this reading It began cheerfully enough--just a brisk breeze across a sunlit sea.
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading There was wind coming, and plenty of it--too much of it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
plural of “deck” — any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading It began cheerfully enough--just a brisk breeze across a sunlit sea.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There was wind coming, and plenty of it--too much of it.
and nothing more
From this reading It began cheerfully enough--just a brisk breeze across a sunlit sea.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading There was wind coming, and plenty of it--too much of it.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
past form of “obscure” — make less visible or unclear
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was wind coming, and plenty of it--too much of it.
a hinged catch that fits into a notch of a ratchet to move a wheel forward or prevent it from moving backward
From this reading Black Pawl was right.
a full supply
From this reading There was wind coming, and plenty of it--too much of it.
past form of “poke” — poke or thrust abruptly
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Black Pawl was right.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading It began cheerfully enough--just a brisk breeze across a sunlit sea.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
lighted by sunlight
From this reading It began cheerfully enough--just a brisk breeze across a sunlit sea.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was wind coming, and plenty of it--too much of it.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It was time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading There was wind coming, and plenty of it--too much of it.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Black Pawl was right.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
at the time that
From this reading But the clouds that poked up above the horizon were not cheerful; and when they obscured the sun, and the rain began to drive across the <i>Deborah’s</i> decks, Black Pawl had the canvas coming in.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading There was wind coming, and plenty of it--too much of it.
Chapter 10 of Black Pawl by Ben Ames Williams holds 170 sentences, grouped into 34 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 10 holds 170 sentences of Black Pawl, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of Black Pawl by Ben Ames Williams exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 170 sentences, grouped into 34 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 34 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading Black Pawl by Ben Ames Williams on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2734 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #64036 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #64036, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 227 minutes of reading across 547 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Black Pawl section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of Black Pawl to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Black Pawl, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
