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The Amateur Cracksman
The Amateur Cracksman

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The Amateur Cracksman is here in full — 225 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Chapter 9 of The Amateur Cracksman by E. W. (Ernest William) Hornung holds 225 sentences, grouped into 45 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.

What does chapter 9 of The Amateur Cracksman contain?

Chapter 9 holds 225 sentences of The Amateur Cracksman, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of The Amateur Cracksman by E. W. (Ernest William) Hornung exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 225 sentences, grouped into 45 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 9 of The Amateur Cracksman?

Work through the 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 45 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 The Amateur Cracksman

Common questions about reading The Amateur Cracksman by E. W. (Ernest William) Hornung on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Amateur Cracksman?

Yes. All 3812 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #706 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Amateur Cracksman is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #706, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Amateur Cracksman take to read?

About 317 minutes of reading across 763 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Amateur Cracksman section by section

How to work through The Amateur Cracksman section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of The Amateur Cracksman 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 The Amateur Cracksman

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Amateur Cracksman, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Amateur
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Amateur Cracksman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cracksman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Amateur Cracksman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hornung
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Amateur Cracksman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Flattery
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Amateur Cracksman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cover illustration for The Amateur Cracksman
Context Illustration Reading 1/45 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Bunny, it was the outer door of the banking-chamber!
My candle must have been seen!
And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!
"There was only one thing to be done.
I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Amateur Cracksman

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The Amateur Cracksman is here in full — 225 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/45 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Bunny, it was the outer door of the banking-chamber!
Line 2
My candle must have been seen!
Line 3
And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!
Line 4
"There was only one thing to be done.
Line 5
I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

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.

Open verb US /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading “I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.”

Stood verb US /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading “And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!”

All words in this reading · 65

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

a

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

From this reading And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!

And

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

From this reading And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!

banking-chamber

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

From this reading "Bunny, it was the outer door of the banking-chamber!

be

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

From this reading "There was only one thing to be done.

been

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

From this reading My candle must have been seen!

before

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

brick

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

From this reading And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!

Bunny

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

From this reading "Bunny, it was the outer door of the banking-chamber!

buy

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

candle

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

From this reading My candle must have been seen!

chum

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

clump

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

dash

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

doctor's

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

done

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

From this reading "There was only one thing to be done.

door

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

From this reading "Bunny, it was the outer door of the banking-chamber!

down

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

enough

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

Ewbank

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

fingers

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

From this reading And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!

for

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

grave

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

From this reading And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!

grease

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

From this reading And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!

had

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

have

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

From this reading My candle must have been seen!

him

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

hot

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

From this reading And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!

I

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

From this reading And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!

in

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

From this reading And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!

it

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

From this reading "Bunny, it was the outer door of the banking-chamber!

knock

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

leaving

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

make

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

mare

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

Melbourne

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

must

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

From this reading My candle must have been seen!

My

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

From this reading My candle must have been seen!

myself

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

new

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

of

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

From this reading "Bunny, it was the outer door of the banking-chamber!

one

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

From this reading "There was only one thing to be done.

only

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

From this reading "There was only one thing to be done.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

or

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

outer

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

From this reading "Bunny, it was the outer door of the banking-chamber!

over

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

From this reading And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!

revolver

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

running

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

From this reading And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!

seen

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

From this reading My candle must have been seen!

shoot

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

sleeping

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

sound

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!

strong-room

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

From this reading And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!

that

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

From this reading And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!

the

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

From this reading "Bunny, it was the outer door of the banking-chamber!

there

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

From this reading And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!

thing

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

From this reading "There was only one thing to be done.

to

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

From this reading "There was only one thing to be done.

trees

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

trust

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

upstairs

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

visitor

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

From this reading I must trust to the sound sleeping of Ewbank upstairs, open the door myself, knock the visitor down, or shoot him with the revolver I had been new chum enough to buy before leaving Melbourne, and make a dash for that clump of trees and the doctor's mare.

was

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

From this reading "Bunny, it was the outer door of the banking-chamber!

with

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

From this reading And there I stood, with the grease running hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!