Chapter 12 of Empire Builders is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Empire Builders is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Then we have three more chances in the hat. Much obliged for the dynamite hint, Stuart. I'll herd these three cartridges pretty carefully. Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery." Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.
Chapter 12 of Empire Builders is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
large but transportable armament
From this reading “Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."”
surrounded by hostile forces
From this reading “Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.”
plural of “cartridge” — ammunition consisting of a cylindrical casing containing an explosive charge and a bullet; fired from a rifle or handgun
From this reading “I'll herd these three cartridges pretty carefully.”
an explosive containing nitrate sensitized with nitroglycerin absorbed on wood pulp
From this reading “Much obliged for the dynamite hint, Stuart.”
past form of “score” — gain points in a game
From this reading “Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.”
United States painter best known for his portraits of George Washington (1755-1828)
From this reading “Much obliged for the dynamite hint, Stuart.”
apprehension about what is going to happen
From this reading “Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.”
spoken with poor articulation as if with a thick tongue
From this reading “Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.”
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 Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.
(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic
From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.
large but transportable armament
From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."
surrounded by hostile forces
From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading I'll herd these three cartridges pretty carefully.
plural of “cartridge” — ammunition consisting of a cylindrical casing containing an explosive charge and a bullet; fired from a rifle or handgun
From this reading I'll herd these three cartridges pretty carefully.
plural of “chance” — a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.
an explosive containing nitrate sensitized with nitroglycerin absorbed on wood pulp
From this reading Much obliged for the dynamite hint, Stuart.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Much obliged for the dynamite hint, Stuart.
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.
a group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals all of the same kind that are herded by humans
From this reading I'll herd these three cartridges pretty carefully.
an indirect suggestion
From this reading Much obliged for the dynamite hint, Stuart.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'll herd these three cartridges pretty carefully.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.
a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.
engage in
From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Much obliged for the dynamite hint, Stuart.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading Much obliged for the dynamite hint, Stuart.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading I'll herd these three cartridges pretty carefully.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.
past form of “score” — gain points in a game
From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."
United States painter best known for his portraits of George Washington (1755-1828)
From this reading Much obliged for the dynamite hint, Stuart.
apprehension about what is going to happen
From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading I'll herd these three cartridges pretty carefully.
spoken with poor articulation as if with a thick tongue
From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."
Chapter 12 of Empire Builders by Francis Lynde holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 12 holds 414 sentences of Empire Builders, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Empire Builders by Francis Lynde exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 12 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 Empire Builders by Francis Lynde on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5002 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16630 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #16630, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 416 minutes of reading across 1001 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Empire Builders section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Empire Builders 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 Empire Builders, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
