Chapter 12 of The Black Cross is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of The Black Cross is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Who is in the sleigh, Kaya, can you see? Keep low in the shadow and don't move your head." "The Countess, Velasco, and Petrokoff and two other men." "Gendarmes?" "I think they are gendarmes, Velasco.
Chapter 12 of The Black Cross is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 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.
female equivalent of a count or earl
From this reading “"The Countess, Velasco, and Petrokoff and two other men."”
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading “Keep low in the shadow and don't move your head."”
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading “Keep low in the shadow and don't move your head."”
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading “Keep low in the shadow and don't move your head."”
the force of workers available
From this reading “"The Countess, Velasco, and Petrokoff and two other men."”
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “Keep low in the shadow and don't move your head."”
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading “Keep low in the shadow and don't move your head."”
a vehicle mounted on runners and pulled by horses or dogs; for transportation over snow
From this reading “"Who is in the sleigh, Kaya, can you see?”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Keep low in the shadow and don't move your head."
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "I think they are gendarmes, Velasco.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "Who is in the sleigh, Kaya, can you see?
female equivalent of a count or earl
From this reading "The Countess, Velasco, and Petrokoff and two other men."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Keep low in the shadow and don't move your head."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Gendarmes?"
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Keep low in the shadow and don't move your head."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I think they are gendarmes, Velasco.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Who is in the sleigh, Kaya, can you see?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Who is in the sleigh, Kaya, can you see?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Who is in the sleigh, Kaya, can you see?
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Keep low in the shadow and don't move your head."
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Keep low in the shadow and don't move your head."
the force of workers available
From this reading "The Countess, Velasco, and Petrokoff and two other men."
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Keep low in the shadow and don't move your head."
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading "The Countess, Velasco, and Petrokoff and two other men."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The Countess, Velasco, and Petrokoff and two other men."
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "Who is in the sleigh, Kaya, can you see?
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading Keep low in the shadow and don't move your head."
a vehicle mounted on runners and pulled by horses or dogs; for transportation over snow
From this reading "Who is in the sleigh, Kaya, can you see?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Who is in the sleigh, Kaya, can you see?
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I think they are gendarmes, Velasco.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "I think they are gendarmes, Velasco.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "The Countess, Velasco, and Petrokoff and two other men."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The Countess, Velasco, and Petrokoff and two other men."
which person or people
From this reading "Who is in the sleigh, Kaya, can you see?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Who is in the sleigh, Kaya, can you see?
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Keep low in the shadow and don't move your head."
Chapter 12 of The Black Cross by Olive M. (Olive Mary) Briggs holds 160 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 12 holds 160 sentences of The Black Cross, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of The Black Cross by Olive M. (Olive Mary) Briggs exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 160 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 12 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 The Black Cross by Olive M. (Olive Mary) Briggs on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5261 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21259 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21259, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 438 minutes of reading across 1053 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Black Cross section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Black Cross 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 The Black Cross, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
