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Never Fire First
Never Fire First

Chapter XXV

Chapter 25 of Never Fire First is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Never Fire First
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.
She did not resent particularly his lack of confidence, feeling that she had not earned it.
That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.
She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.
Hope of that seemed built on the Thursday morning absence of either Kluger or his partner.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Never Fire First

Chapter XXV

Chapter 25 of Never Fire First 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

Line 1
CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.
Line 2
She did not resent particularly his lack of confidence, feeling that she had not earned it.
/ʃiː dɪd nɑːt rɪˈzent ˌpɑːrˈtɪkjələrli hɪz læk ʌv ˈkɑːnfədəns ˈfiːlɪŋ ðæt ʃiː hæd nɑːt ɜːrnd ɪt/
Line 3
That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.
Line 4
She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.
/ʃiː ˈheɪtəd tuː θɪŋk ðæt ðə ˈɪndiən ˈwɪmən wʊd mɪˈsliːd hɜːr bʌt ʃiː dɪd wɑːnt ðə ˈsleɪər ʌv hɜːr ˈkʌzənz ˈswiːthɑːrt ˈkæptʃərd ənd ˈpʌnɪʃt/
Line 5
Hope of that seemed built on the Thursday morning absence of either Kluger or his partner.

Learner Dictionary

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.

clutch noun US /klʌtʃ/

the act of grasping

From this reading “CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.”

cousin's noun US /ˈkʌzənz/

possessive form of “cousin” — the child of your aunt or uncle

From this reading “She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.”

disbelieve verb US /dɪsbəˈliːv/

reject as false; refuse to accept

From this reading “That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.”

enigma noun US /ɪˈnɪɡmə/

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading “CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.”

Glacier noun US /ˈɡleɪʃər/

a slowly moving mass of ice

From this reading “CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.”

mislead verb US /mɪˈsliːd/

lead someone in the wrong direction or give someone wrong directions

From this reading “She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.”

slayer noun US /ˈsleɪər/

someone who causes the death of a person or animal

From this reading “She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.”

spoilers noun US /ˈspɔɪlərz/

plural of “spoiler” — a candidate with no chance of winning but who may draw enough votes to prevent one of the leading candidates from winning

From this reading “That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

at once preposition + adverb

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

In this reading “That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.”

All words in this reading · 81

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.

absencenounUS /ˈæbsəns/

the state of being absent

From this reading Hope of that seemed built on the Thursday morning absence of either Kluger or his partner.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.

attentionnounUS /əˈtenʃən/

the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

BREEDverbUS /briːd/

call forth

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

builtadjectiveUS /bɪlt/

(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness

From this reading Hope of that seemed built on the Thursday morning absence of either Kluger or his partner.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.

capturedverbUS /ˈkæptʃərd/

past form of “capture” — succeed in representing or expressing something intangible

From this reading She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.

CLUTCHnounUS /klʌtʃ/

the act of grasping

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

confidencenounUS /ˈkɑːnfədəns/

freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading She did not resent particularly his lack of confidence, feeling that she had not earned it.

continuedadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪnjuːd/

without stop or interruption

From this reading That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.

cousin'snounUS /ˈkʌzənz/

possessive form of “cousin” — the child of your aunt or uncle

From this reading She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.

CreeknounUS /kriːk/

a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading She did not resent particularly his lack of confidence, feeling that she had not earned it.

disbelieveverbUS /dɪsbəˈliːv/

reject as false; refuse to accept

From this reading That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.

discoverynounUS /dɪˈskʌvəri/

the act of discovering something

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

earnedadjectiveUS /ɜːrnd/

gained or acquired; especially through merit or as a result of effort or action

From this reading She did not resent particularly his lack of confidence, feeling that she had not earned it.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading Hope of that seemed built on the Thursday morning absence of either Kluger or his partner.

enigmanounUS /ɪˈnɪɡmə/

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading She did not resent particularly his lack of confidence, feeling that she had not earned it.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

givingnounUS /ˈɡɪvɪŋ/

the act of giving

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

GlaciernounUS /ˈɡleɪʃər/

a slowly moving mass of ice

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

gratifiedadjectiveUS /ˈɡrætəfaɪd/

having received what was desired

From this reading That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

hatedadjectiveUS /ˈheɪtəd/

treated with dislike or contempt

From this reading She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading She did not resent particularly his lack of confidence, feeling that she had not earned it.

HopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading Hope of that seemed built on the Thursday morning absence of either Kluger or his partner.

IndianadjectiveUS /ˈɪndiən/

of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures

From this reading She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading She did not resent particularly his lack of confidence, feeling that she had not earned it.

klootchmen

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.

Kluger

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hope of that seemed built on the Thursday morning absence of either Kluger or his partner.

lacknounUS /læk/

the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable

From this reading She did not resent particularly his lack of confidence, feeling that she had not earned it.

MakingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

misleadverbUS /mɪˈsliːd/

lead someone in the wrong direction or give someone wrong directions

From this reading She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.

Moira

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Hope of that seemed built on the Thursday morning absence of either Kluger or his partner.

MountedadjectiveUS /ˈmaʊntəd/

assembled for use; especially by being attached to a support

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

near-white

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

nonepronounUS /nʌn/

not one, and not any

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading She did not resent particularly his lack of confidence, feeling that she had not earned it.

O'Malley

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Hope of that seemed built on the Thursday morning absence of either Kluger or his partner.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Hope of that seemed built on the Thursday morning absence of either Kluger or his partner.

particularlyadverbUS /ˌpɑːrˈtɪkjələrli/

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading She did not resent particularly his lack of confidence, feeling that she had not earned it.

partnernounUS /ˈpɑːrtnər/

a person's partner in marriage

From this reading Hope of that seemed built on the Thursday morning absence of either Kluger or his partner.

presencenounUS /ˈprezəns/

the state of being present; current existence

From this reading That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.

punishedadjectiveUS /ˈpʌnɪʃt/

subjected to a penalty (as pain or shame or restraint or loss) for an offense or fault or in order to coerce some behavior (as a confession or obedience)

From this reading She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.

receivingverbUS /rəˈsiːvɪŋ/

-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

resentverbUS /rɪˈzent/

feel bitter or indignant about

From this reading She did not resent particularly his lack of confidence, feeling that she had not earned it.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She did not resent particularly his lack of confidence, feeling that she had not earned it.

Siwashes

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

slayernounUS /ˈsleɪər/

someone who causes the death of a person or animal

From this reading She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.

spoilersnounUS /ˈspɔɪlərz/

plural of “spoiler” — a candidate with no chance of winning but who may draw enough votes to prevent one of the leading candidates from winning

From this reading That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.

sweetheartnounUS /ˈswiːthɑːrt/

a person loved by another person

From this reading She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading She did not resent particularly his lack of confidence, feeling that she had not earned it.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

ThursdaynounUS /ˈθɜːrzdeɪ/

the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day

From this reading Hope of that seemed built on the Thursday morning absence of either Kluger or his partner.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.

troubledadjectiveUS /ˈtrʌbəld/

characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need

From this reading That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading That he seemed to disbelieve what the _klootchmen_ had told her of the continued presence of the white and near-white spoilers at once troubled and gratified her.

womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.

wonderedverbUS /ˈwʌndərd/

past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

workingadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/

actively engaged in paid work

From this reading CLUTCH OF THE BREED Making her way down Glacier Creek, giving no attention to the working Siwashes and receiving none from them, Moira O'Malley wondered what discovery this enigma of the Mounted had held back from her.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading She hated to think that the Indian women would mislead her; but she did want the slayer of her cousin's sweetheart captured and punished.

Chapter 25 of Never Fire First by James French Dorrance holds 142 sentences, grouped into 29 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.

What does chapter 25 of Never Fire First contain?

Chapter 25 holds 142 sentences of Never Fire First, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 25 of Never Fire First by James French Dorrance exactly as it stands in the 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.

How do I study chapter 25 of Never Fire First?

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.

Can chapter 25 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 25 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.

Questions about reading Never Fire First

Common questions about reading Never Fire First by James French Dorrance on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Never Fire First?

Yes. All 3241 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #63877 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Never Fire First is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #63877, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Never Fire First take to read?

About 270 minutes of reading across 649 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Never Fire First section by section

How to work through Never Fire First section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 27 chapters of Never Fire First to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Never Fire First

Words and structures a reader meets early in Never Fire First, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Dig-in
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Never Fire First; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Snow-bank
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Never Fire First; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Where
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Never Fire First; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Spent
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Never Fire First; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.