Chapter 20 of Harrigan is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Harrigan is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"He's heard!" stammered Hovey, pointing. "Guard the door! Get him!" "Bash in his head an' overboard with the lubber!" growled Sam Hall. Not one of the others spoke; their actions were the more significant.
Chapter 20 of Harrigan is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 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.
plural of “action” — something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading “Not one of the others spoke; their actions were the more significant.”
a vigorous blow
From this reading “"Bash in his head an' overboard with the lubber!" growled Sam Hall.”
past form of “growl” — to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds
From this reading “"Bash in his head an' overboard with the lubber!" growled Sam Hall.”
an awkward stupid person
From this reading “"Bash in his head an' overboard with the lubber!" growled Sam Hall.”
to extremes
From this reading “"Bash in his head an' overboard with the lubber!" growled Sam Hall.”
-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively
From this reading “"He's heard!" stammered Hovey, pointing.”
a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading “"Bash in his head an' overboard with the lubber!" growled Sam Hall.”
important in effect or meaning
From this reading “Not one of the others spoke; their actions were the more significant.”
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.
plural of “action” — something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading Not one of the others spoke; their actions were the more significant.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "Bash in his head an' overboard with the lubber!" growled Sam Hall.
a vigorous blow
From this reading "Bash in his head an' overboard with the lubber!" growled Sam Hall.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading "Guard the door!
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Get him!"
past form of “growl” — to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds
From this reading "Bash in his head an' overboard with the lubber!" growled Sam Hall.
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading "Guard the door!
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading "Bash in his head an' overboard with the lubber!" growled Sam Hall.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's heard!" stammered Hovey, pointing.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading "Bash in his head an' overboard with the lubber!" growled Sam Hall.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading "He's heard!" stammered Hovey, pointing.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Get him!"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Bash in his head an' overboard with the lubber!" growled Sam Hall.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's heard!" stammered Hovey, pointing.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Bash in his head an' overboard with the lubber!" growled Sam Hall.
an awkward stupid person
From this reading "Bash in his head an' overboard with the lubber!" growled Sam Hall.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Not one of the others spoke; their actions were the more significant.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not one of the others spoke; their actions were the more significant.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Not one of the others spoke; their actions were the more significant.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Not one of the others spoke; their actions were the more significant.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Not one of the others spoke; their actions were the more significant.
to extremes
From this reading "Bash in his head an' overboard with the lubber!" growled Sam Hall.
-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively
From this reading "He's heard!" stammered Hovey, pointing.
a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading "Bash in his head an' overboard with the lubber!" growled Sam Hall.
important in effect or meaning
From this reading Not one of the others spoke; their actions were the more significant.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading Not one of the others spoke; their actions were the more significant.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's heard!" stammered Hovey, pointing.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Guard the door!
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Not one of the others spoke; their actions were the more significant.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Not one of the others spoke; their actions were the more significant.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Bash in his head an' overboard with the lubber!" growled Sam Hall.
Chapter 20 of Harrigan by Max Brand holds 142 sentences, grouped into 29 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 20 holds 142 sentences of Harrigan, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Harrigan by Max Brand exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 142 sentences, grouped into 29 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 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 29 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 20 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 Harrigan by Max Brand on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4752 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9791 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9791, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 396 minutes of reading across 951 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Harrigan section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 38 chapters of Harrigan 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 Harrigan, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
