Chapter 5 of Dusky Dick is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Dusky Dick is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE BURNING CABIN. A dim, shadowy, phantom-like chain flitting silently through the forest depths. A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death. They pause at the edge of a considerable clearing, and gaze out upon it. A rude log-cabin stands here at the foot of a good-sized hill.
Chapter 5 of Dusky Dick is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/26 · 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.
plural of “being” — the state or fact of existing
From this reading “A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.”
the shedding of blood resulting in murder
From this reading “A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.”
a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area
From this reading “They pause at the edge of a considerable clearing, and gaze out upon it.”
a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission
From this reading “A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.”
inflected form of “flit” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading “A dim, shadowy, phantom-like chain flitting silently through the forest depths.”
relating to physical reality rather than with thoughts or the mind
From this reading “A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.”
an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading
From this reading “A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.”
filled with shade
From this reading “A dim, shadowy, phantom-like chain flitting silently through the forest depths.”
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 “A dim, shadowy, phantom-like chain flitting silently through the forest depths.”
In this reading “They pause at the edge of a considerable clearing, and gaze out upon it.”
In this reading “A rude log-cabin stands here at the foot of a good-sized hill.”
In this reading “A rude log-cabin stands here at the foot of a good-sized hill.”
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 A dim, shadowy, phantom-like chain flitting silently through the forest depths.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.
plural of “being” — the state or fact of existing
From this reading A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.
the shedding of blood resulting in murder
From this reading A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.
the act of burning something
From this reading THE BURNING CABIN.
small room on a ship or boat where people sleep
From this reading THE BURNING CABIN.
a series of things depending on each other as if linked together
From this reading A dim, shadowy, phantom-like chain flitting silently through the forest depths.
a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area
From this reading They pause at the edge of a considerable clearing, and gaze out upon it.
serenely self-possessed and free from agitation especially in times of stress
From this reading A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree
From this reading They pause at the edge of a considerable clearing, and gaze out upon it.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.
(plural) the deepest and most remote part
From this reading A dim, shadowy, phantom-like chain flitting silently through the forest depths.
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading A dim, shadowy, phantom-like chain flitting silently through the forest depths.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading They pause at the edge of a considerable clearing, and gaze out upon it.
a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission
From this reading A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.
inflected form of “flit” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading A dim, shadowy, phantom-like chain flitting silently through the forest depths.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading A rude log-cabin stands here at the foot of a good-sized hill.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading A dim, shadowy, phantom-like chain flitting silently through the forest depths.
a long fixed look
From this reading They pause at the edge of a considerable clearing, and gaze out upon it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A rude log-cabin stands here at the foot of a good-sized hill.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading A rude log-cabin stands here at the foot of a good-sized hill.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading A rude log-cabin stands here at the foot of a good-sized hill.
characteristic of humanity
From this reading A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading They pause at the edge of a considerable clearing, and gaze out upon it.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A rude log-cabin stands here at the foot of a good-sized hill.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading They pause at the edge of a considerable clearing, and gaze out upon it.
relating to physical reality rather than with thoughts or the mind
From this reading A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.
a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
From this reading They pause at the edge of a considerable clearing, and gaze out upon it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A dim, shadowy, phantom-like chain flitting silently through the forest depths.
socially incorrect in behavior
From this reading A rude log-cabin stands here at the foot of a good-sized hill.
an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading
From this reading A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.
filled with shade
From this reading A dim, shadowy, phantom-like chain flitting silently through the forest depths.
without speaking
From this reading A dim, shadowy, phantom-like chain flitting silently through the forest depths.
plural of “stand” — a support or foundation
From this reading A rude log-cabin stands here at the foot of a good-sized hill.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BURNING CABIN.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They pause at the edge of a considerable clearing, and gaze out upon it.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading A dim, shadowy, phantom-like chain flitting silently through the forest depths.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading A living chain, composed of human beings--at least in outward semblance--bent upon an errand of bloodshed and death.
Chapter 5 of Dusky Dick by Jos. E. (Joseph Edward) Badger holds 134 sentences, grouped into 27 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 5 holds 134 sentences of Dusky Dick, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Dusky Dick by Jos. E. (Joseph Edward) Badger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 134 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 27 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 5 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 Dusky Dick by Jos. E. (Joseph Edward) Badger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1849 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #68699 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #68699, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 154 minutes of reading across 370 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Dusky Dick section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Dusky Dick 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 Dusky Dick, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
