Chapter 4 of Gunman's Reckoning is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Gunman's Reckoning is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
LEBRUN'S JOY EMPORIUM Donnegan turned in under the sign. It was one big room. The bar stretched completely around two sides of it. The floor was dirt, but packed to the hardness of wood. The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.
Chapter 4 of Gunman's Reckoning is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock
From this reading “The floor was dirt, but packed to the hardness of wood.”
a large retail store organized into departments offering a variety of merchandise; commonly part of a retail chain
From this reading “LEBRUN'S JOY EMPORIUM Donnegan turned in under the sign.”
the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize)
From this reading “The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.”
the property of being rigid and resistant to pressure; not easily scratched; measured on Mohs scale
From this reading “The floor was dirt, but packed to the hardness of wood.”
extremely crowed or filled to capacity
From this reading “The floor was dirt, but packed to the hardness of wood.”
plural of “pillar” — a fundamental principle or practice
From this reading “The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.”
a small number (of something) dispersed haphazardly
From this reading “The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.”
sustained or maintained by aid (as distinct from physical support)
From this reading “The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.”
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 low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The bar stretched completely around two sides of it.
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading The bar stretched completely around two sides of it.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was one big room.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The floor was dirt, but packed to the hardness of wood.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading The bar stretched completely around two sides of it.
the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock
From this reading The floor was dirt, but packed to the hardness of wood.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LEBRUN'S JOY EMPORIUM Donnegan turned in under the sign.
a large retail store organized into departments offering a variety of merchandise; commonly part of a retail chain
From this reading LEBRUN'S JOY EMPORIUM Donnegan turned in under the sign.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading The floor was dirt, but packed to the hardness of wood.
the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize)
From this reading The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.
the property of being rigid and resistant to pressure; not easily scratched; measured on Mohs scale
From this reading The floor was dirt, but packed to the hardness of wood.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading LEBRUN'S JOY EMPORIUM Donnegan turned in under the sign.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was one big room.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading LEBRUN'S JOY EMPORIUM Donnegan turned in under the sign.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LEBRUN'S JOY EMPORIUM Donnegan turned in under the sign.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The bar stretched completely around two sides of it.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It was one big room.
extremely crowed or filled to capacity
From this reading The floor was dirt, but packed to the hardness of wood.
plural of “pillar” — a fundamental principle or practice
From this reading The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading It was one big room.
a small number (of something) dispersed haphazardly
From this reading The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading The bar stretched completely around two sides of it.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading LEBRUN'S JOY EMPORIUM Donnegan turned in under the sign.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading The bar stretched completely around two sides of it.
sustained or maintained by aid (as distinct from physical support)
From this reading The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.
plural of “table” — a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading LEBRUN'S JOY EMPORIUM Donnegan turned in under the sign.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The floor was dirt, but packed to the hardness of wood.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading LEBRUN'S JOY EMPORIUM Donnegan turned in under the sign.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The bar stretched completely around two sides of it.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading LEBRUN'S JOY EMPORIUM Donnegan turned in under the sign.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was one big room.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading The floor was dirt, but packed to the hardness of wood.
made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood
From this reading The low roof was supported by a scattering of wooden pillars, and across the floor the gaming tables were spread.
Chapter 4 of Gunman's Reckoning by Max Brand holds 421 sentences, grouped into 85 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 4 holds 421 sentences of Gunman's Reckoning, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Gunman's Reckoning by Max Brand exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 4 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 Gunman's Reckoning by Max Brand on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6281 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10066 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #10066, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 523 minutes of reading across 1257 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Gunman's Reckoning section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of Gunman's Reckoning 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 Gunman's Reckoning, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
