Chapter 17 of Fighting Byng is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Fighting Byng is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Those few minutes seemed hours. I was vitally anxious to see that close-cropped little head above the water. I stood on the deck of the _Sprite_, with rifle in hand, ready to fire. I was conscious that the down line slightly moved, but did not dare look too closely. The tide was bringing the Huns a little closer, and all depended upon vigilance.
Chapter 17 of Fighting Byng is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 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.
in a close relation or position in time or space
From this reading “I was conscious that the down line slightly moved, but did not dare look too closely.”
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading “The tide was bringing the Huns a little closer, and all depended upon vigilance.”
past form of “depend” — be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading “The tide was bringing the Huns a little closer, and all depended upon vigilance.”
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading “I stood on the deck of the _Sprite_, with rifle in hand, ready to fire.”
a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
From this reading “The tide was bringing the Huns a little closer, and all depended upon vigilance.”
the process of paying close and continuous attention
From this reading “The tide was bringing the Huns a little closer, and all depended upon vigilance.”
to a vital degree
From this reading “I was vitally anxious to see that close-cropped little head above the water.”
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 “Those few minutes seemed hours.”
be contingent on
In this reading “The tide was bringing the Huns a little closer, and all depended upon vigilance.”
In this reading “I was vitally anxious to see that close-cropped little head above the water.”
In this reading “I stood on the deck of the _Sprite_, with rifle in hand, ready to fire.”
In this reading “I stood on the deck of the _Sprite_, with rifle in hand, ready to fire.”
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 The tide was bringing the Huns a little closer, and all depended upon vigilance.
higher than, or over, something
From this reading I was vitally anxious to see that close-cropped little head above the water.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading The tide was bringing the Huns a little closer, and all depended upon vigilance.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The tide was bringing the Huns a little closer, and all depended upon vigilance.
eagerly desirous
From this reading I was vitally anxious to see that close-cropped little head above the water.
the act of delivering or distributing something (as goods or mail)
From this reading The tide was bringing the Huns a little closer, and all depended upon vigilance.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I was conscious that the down line slightly moved, but did not dare look too closely.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was vitally anxious to see that close-cropped little head above the water.
in a close relation or position in time or space
From this reading I was conscious that the down line slightly moved, but did not dare look too closely.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading The tide was bringing the Huns a little closer, and all depended upon vigilance.
intentionally conceived
From this reading I was conscious that the down line slightly moved, but did not dare look too closely.
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading I was conscious that the down line slightly moved, but did not dare look too closely.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading I stood on the deck of the _Sprite_, with rifle in hand, ready to fire.
past form of “depend” — be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading The tide was bringing the Huns a little closer, and all depended upon vigilance.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading I was conscious that the down line slightly moved, but did not dare look too closely.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading I was conscious that the down line slightly moved, but did not dare look too closely.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Those few minutes seemed hours.
start firing a weapon
From this reading I stood on the deck of the _Sprite_, with rifle in hand, ready to fire.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading I stood on the deck of the _Sprite_, with rifle in hand, ready to fire.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading I was vitally anxious to see that close-cropped little head above the water.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading Those few minutes seemed hours.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tide was bringing the Huns a little closer, and all depended upon vigilance.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I was vitally anxious to see that close-cropped little head above the water.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I stood on the deck of the _Sprite_, with rifle in hand, ready to fire.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading I was conscious that the down line slightly moved, but did not dare look too closely.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I was vitally anxious to see that close-cropped little head above the water.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I was conscious that the down line slightly moved, but did not dare look too closely.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Those few minutes seemed hours.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading I was conscious that the down line slightly moved, but did not dare look too closely.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I was conscious that the down line slightly moved, but did not dare look too closely.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I stood on the deck of the _Sprite_, with rifle in hand, ready to fire.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I stood on the deck of the _Sprite_, with rifle in hand, ready to fire.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading I stood on the deck of the _Sprite_, with rifle in hand, ready to fire.
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading I stood on the deck of the _Sprite_, with rifle in hand, ready to fire.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I was vitally anxious to see that close-cropped little head above the water.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Those few minutes seemed hours.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading I was conscious that the down line slightly moved, but did not dare look too closely.
a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
From this reading I stood on the deck of the _Sprite_, with rifle in hand, ready to fire.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading I stood on the deck of the _Sprite_, with rifle in hand, ready to fire.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I was vitally anxious to see that close-cropped little head above the water.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I was vitally anxious to see that close-cropped little head above the water.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Those few minutes seemed hours.
the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
From this reading The tide was bringing the Huns a little closer, and all depended upon vigilance.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I was vitally anxious to see that close-cropped little head above the water.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading I was conscious that the down line slightly moved, but did not dare look too closely.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The tide was bringing the Huns a little closer, and all depended upon vigilance.
the process of paying close and continuous attention
From this reading The tide was bringing the Huns a little closer, and all depended upon vigilance.
to a vital degree
From this reading I was vitally anxious to see that close-cropped little head above the water.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was vitally anxious to see that close-cropped little head above the water.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading I was vitally anxious to see that close-cropped little head above the water.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I stood on the deck of the _Sprite_, with rifle in hand, ready to fire.
Chapter 17 of Fighting Byng by A. Stone holds 140 sentences, grouped into 28 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 17 holds 140 sentences of Fighting Byng, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Fighting Byng by A. Stone exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 140 sentences, grouped into 28 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 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 28 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 17 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 Fighting Byng by A. Stone on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3507 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40821 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #40821, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 292 minutes of reading across 702 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Fighting Byng section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of Fighting Byng 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 Fighting Byng, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
