Chapter 26 of On Time is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of On Time is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Hold on to him!” shouted Tommy. “This is our next move.” “I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” said the constable. “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me. “I don’t know; the warrant comes up from Middleport.
Chapter 26 of On Time is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 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.
kill in large numbers
From this reading ““I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.”
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading ““I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.”
a lawman with less authority and jurisdiction than a sheriff
From this reading ““I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” said the constable.”
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading ““I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.”
address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading ““I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.”
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading ““I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.”
in a vehement outcry
From this reading ““Hold on to him!” shouted Tommy.”
a writ from a court commanding police to perform specified acts
From this reading ““I don’t know; the warrant comes up from Middleport.”
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.
bring forth, usually something desirable
In this reading ““I don’t know; the warrant comes up from Middleport.”
hold firmly
In this reading ““Hold on to him!” shouted Tommy.”
In this reading ““I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.”
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.
past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” said the constable.
kill in large numbers
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” said the constable.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading “I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” said the constable.
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading “I don’t know; the warrant comes up from Middleport.
a lawman with less authority and jurisdiction than a sheriff
From this reading “I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” said the constable.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” said the constable.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I don’t know; the warrant comes up from Middleport.
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading “I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” said the constable.
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “I don’t know; the warrant comes up from Middleport.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Hold on to him!” shouted Tommy.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading “Hold on to him!” shouted Tommy.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” said the constable.
address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “This is our next move.”
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I don’t know; the warrant comes up from Middleport.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I don’t know; the warrant comes up from Middleport.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “This is our next move.”
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” said the constable.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” said the constable.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading “This is our next move.”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Hold on to him!” shouted Tommy.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “This is our next move.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” said the constable.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” said the constable.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading “Hold on to him!” shouted Tommy.
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading “I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” said the constable.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” said the constable.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “This is our next move.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Hold on to him!” shouted Tommy.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hold on to him!” shouted Tommy.
a source of difficulty
From this reading “I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” said the constable.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “I don’t know; the warrant comes up from Middleport.
a writ from a court commanding police to perform specified acts
From this reading “I don’t know; the warrant comes up from Middleport.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold of me.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” said the constable.
Chapter 26 of On Time by Oliver Optic holds 114 sentences, grouped into 23 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 26 holds 114 sentences of On Time, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of On Time by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 114 sentences, grouped into 23 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 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 23 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 26 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 On Time by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3222 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #65552 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #65552, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 268 minutes of reading across 645 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through On Time section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of On Time 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 On Time, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
