Chapter 1 of Gun play is here in full — 322 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Gun play is here in full — 322 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned. “Yip! Yip-yip-yip yoo--ooo!” The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse. He nodded toward the flyspecked window.
Chapter 1 of Gun play is here in full — 322 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/64 · 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.
an employee who mixes and serves alcoholic drinks at a bar
From this reading “The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.”
a boy or man
From this reading “Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.”
table consisting of a horizontal surface over which business is transacted
From this reading “The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.”
cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
From this reading “The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.”
a solid substance in the form of tiny loose particles; a solid that has been pulverized
From this reading “Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.”
plural of “run” — a score in baseball made by a runner touching all four bases safely
From this reading “Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.”
a collection containing a variety of sorts of things
From this reading “Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.”
a sharp high-pitched cry (especially by a dog)
From this reading ““Yip!”
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 “He nodded toward the flyspecked window.”
pile up (debts or scores)
In this reading “Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.”
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 Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.
an employee who mixes and serves alcoholic drinks at a bar
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.
a boy or man
From this reading Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.
table consisting of a horizontal surface over which business is transacted
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
accept an excuse for
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He nodded toward the flyspecked window.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading He nodded toward the flyspecked window.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.
on one occasion
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yip-yip-yip yoo--ooo!”
cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
a solid substance in the form of tiny loose particles; a solid that has been pulverized
From this reading Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
plural of “run” — a score in baseball made by a runner touching all four bases safely
From this reading Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
in the direction of
From this reading He nodded toward the flyspecked window.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.
a collection containing a variety of sorts of things
From this reading Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wherein a nickel-plated bad-man runs up against a chap of the blue-steel variety, and powder is burned.
which person or people
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading He nodded toward the flyspecked window.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The thick-shouldered counter man, who looked as though he might have been a bartender once, raised his head with a smile meant to placate and excuse.
a sharp high-pitched cry (especially by a dog)
From this reading “Yip!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yip-yip-yip yoo--ooo!”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yip-yip-yip yoo--ooo!”
Chapter 1 of Gun play by Michael J. Phillips holds 322 sentences, grouped into 65 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 1 holds 322 sentences of Gun play, unabridged, divided into 65 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Gun play by Michael J. Phillips exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 322 sentences, grouped into 65 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 65 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 65 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 1 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 Gun play by Michael J. Phillips on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 322 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #74150 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #74150, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 26 minutes of reading across 65 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Gun play section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Gun play 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 Gun play, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
