Chapter 2 of The Blue Behemoth is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Blue Behemoth is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps. It stinks, Jig. You think we should back out?" I shrugged. "You're the boss man.
Chapter 2 of The Blue Behemoth is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
a person who exercises control over workers
From this reading “"You're the boss man.”
plural of “camp” — temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading “"One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.”
dance a quick dance with leaping and kicking motions
From this reading “It stinks, Jig.”
very bad
From this reading “"One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.”
the act of extracting ores or coal etc from the earth
From this reading “"One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.”
inflected form of “shrug” — raise one's shoulders to indicate indifference or resignation
From this reading “I shrugged.”
with low volume
From this reading “"One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.”
plural of “stink” — a distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant
From this reading “It stinks, Jig.”
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.
In this reading “"One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.”
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 "One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading You think we should back out?"
a person who exercises control over workers
From this reading "You're the boss man.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.
a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature
From this reading "One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.
plural of “camp” — temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading "One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading "One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.
ten 10s
From this reading "One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I shrugged.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It stinks, Jig.
dance a quick dance with leaping and kicking motions
From this reading It stinks, Jig.
very bad
From this reading "One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "You're the boss man.
the act of extracting ores or coal etc from the earth
From this reading "One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading You think we should back out?"
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading "One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading You think we should back out?"
inflected form of “shrug” — raise one's shoulders to indicate indifference or resignation
From this reading I shrugged.
with low volume
From this reading "One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.
plural of “stink” — a distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant
From this reading It stinks, Jig.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "You're the boss man.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading You think we should back out?"
a base containing nitrogen that is found in RNA (but not in DNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine
From this reading "One hundred U.C.'s," said Bucky softly, "for a few lousy swampedge mining camps.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading You think we should back out?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You think we should back out?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You're the boss man.
Chapter 2 of The Blue Behemoth by Leigh Brackett holds 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 2 holds 415 sentences of The Blue Behemoth, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Blue Behemoth by Leigh Brackett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 2 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 Blue Behemoth by Leigh Brackett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1251 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #62349 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #62349, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 104 minutes of reading across 251 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Blue Behemoth section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of The Blue Behemoth 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 Blue Behemoth, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
