Chapter 8 of In the Mahdi's Grasp is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of In the Mahdi's Grasp is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another. This is one of the experiences of a desert journey, Frank. Why, lad, you are turned from black to brown." "And you the same, but from white," replied Frank, smiling. "I suppose so.
Chapter 8 of In the Mahdi's Grasp is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
of a color similar to that of wood or earth
From this reading “"Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.”
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading “This is one of the experiences of a desert journey, Frank.”
remove the dust from
From this reading “"Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.”
plural of “experience” — the accumulation of knowledge or skill that results from direct participation in events or activities
From this reading “This is one of the experiences of a desert journey, Frank.”
inflected form of “kneel” — rest one's weight on one's knees
From this reading “"Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.”
a boy or man
From this reading “Why, lad, you are turned from black to brown."”
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading “"Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.”
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading “"Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.”
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 This is one of the experiences of a desert journey, Frank.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Why, lad, you are turned from black to brown."
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Why, lad, you are turned from black to brown."
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading Why, lad, you are turned from black to brown."
of a color similar to that of wood or earth
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "And you the same, but from white," replied Frank, smiling.
rid of obstructions
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading This is one of the experiences of a desert journey, Frank.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
remove the dust from
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
plural of “experience” — the accumulation of knowledge or skill that results from direct participation in events or activities
From this reading This is one of the experiences of a desert journey, Frank.
opinion or judgment
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading This is one of the experiences of a desert journey, Frank.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
incapable of being perceived by the senses especially the sense of touch
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This is one of the experiences of a desert journey, Frank.
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading This is one of the experiences of a desert journey, Frank.
inflected form of “kneel” — rest one's weight on one's knees
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
a boy or man
From this reading Why, lad, you are turned from black to brown."
come together
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This is one of the experiences of a desert journey, Frank.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading This is one of the experiences of a desert journey, Frank.
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "And you the same, but from white," replied Frank, smiling.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
Identical; not different.
From this reading "And you the same, but from white," replied Frank, smiling.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading "And you the same, but from white," replied Frank, smiling.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "I suppose so.
express a supposition
From this reading "I suppose so.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This is one of the experiences of a desert journey, Frank.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
hard to endure
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Why, lad, you are turned from black to brown."
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
a Caucasian
From this reading "And you the same, but from white," replied Frank, smiling.
which person or people
From this reading "Never," said the professor, who knelt in the sand trying to clear his eyes from the impalpable brownish dust, "and I don't want to meet another.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why, lad, you are turned from black to brown."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Why, lad, you are turned from black to brown."
Chapter 8 of In the Mahdi's Grasp by George Manville Fenn holds 419 sentences, grouped into 84 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 8 holds 419 sentences of In the Mahdi's Grasp, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of In the Mahdi's Grasp by George Manville Fenn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 419 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 8 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 In the Mahdi's Grasp by George Manville Fenn on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6197 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24926 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24926, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 516 minutes of reading across 1240 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through In the Mahdi's Grasp section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of In the Mahdi's Grasp 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 In the Mahdi's Grasp, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
