Chapter 1 of In the Wilderness is here in full — 156 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of In the Wilderness is here in full — 156 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it. I slipped in a charge, keeping my eyes on the bear. He never stirred. I walked back suspiciously. There was a quiver in the hindlegs, but no other motion.
Chapter 1 of In the Wilderness is here in full — 156 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 26/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 126–130
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.
having lost your job
From this reading “I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.”
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading “I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.”
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading “There was a quiver in the hindlegs, but no other motion.”
shake with fast, tremulous movements
From this reading “There was a quiver in the hindlegs, but no other motion.”
load anew
From this reading “I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.”
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading “I slipped in a charge, keeping my eyes on the bear.”
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading “He never stirred.”
with suspicion
From this reading “I walked back suspiciously.”
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 I slipped in a charge, keeping my eyes on the bear.
later than; following
From this reading I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading I walked back suspiciously.
have
From this reading I slipped in a charge, keeping my eyes on the bear.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There was a quiver in the hindlegs, but no other motion.
to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle
From this reading I slipped in a charge, keeping my eyes on the bear.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.
opinion or judgment
From this reading I slipped in a charge, keeping my eyes on the bear.
having lost your job
From this reading I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He never stirred.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a quiver in the hindlegs, but no other motion.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I slipped in a charge, keeping my eyes on the bear.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.
conformity or harmony
From this reading I slipped in a charge, keeping my eyes on the bear.
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading There was a quiver in the hindlegs, but no other motion.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I slipped in a charge, keeping my eyes on the bear.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading He never stirred.
not any; not one
From this reading There was a quiver in the hindlegs, but no other motion.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I slipped in a charge, keeping my eyes on the bear.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading There was a quiver in the hindlegs, but no other motion.
shake with fast, tremulous movements
From this reading There was a quiver in the hindlegs, but no other motion.
load anew
From this reading I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.
past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading I slipped in a charge, keeping my eyes on the bear.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading He never stirred.
with suspicion
From this reading I walked back suspiciously.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a quiver in the hindlegs, but no other motion.
a special situation
From this reading I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading I walked back suspiciously.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a quiver in the hindlegs, but no other motion.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I then remembered that the best thing to do after having fired your gun is to reload it.
Chapter 1 of In the Wilderness by Charles Dudley Warner holds 156 sentences, grouped into 32 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 156 sentences of In the Wilderness, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of In the Wilderness by Charles Dudley Warner exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 156 sentences, grouped into 32 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 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 32 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 In the Wilderness by Charles Dudley Warner on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1637 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3132 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3132, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 136 minutes of reading across 328 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through In the Wilderness section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of In the Wilderness 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 Wilderness, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
