Chapter 9 of The Chief Mate's Yarns is here in full — 562 sentences across 113 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Chief Mate's Yarns is here in full — 562 sentences across 113 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Captain Gantline?" The words escaped me like a shot from a gun. "Sure as eggs--'n where did you come from?" said that stout seaman. He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum. His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.
Chapter 9 of The Chief Mate's Yarns is here in full — 562 sentences across 113 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/112 · 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.
possessive form of “bill” — a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading “He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum.”
plural of “corner” — a place off to the side of an area
From this reading “His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.”
oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food
From this reading “"Sure as eggs--'n where did you come from?" said that stout seaman.”
plural of “ripple” — a small wave on the surface of a liquid
From this reading “His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.”
liquor distilled from fermented molasses
From this reading “He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum.”
a man who serves as a sailor
From this reading “"Sure as eggs--'n where did you come from?" said that stout seaman.”
possessive form of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight
From this reading “His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.”
apparatus used to communicate at a distance over a wire (usually in Morse code)
From this reading “He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum.”
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 “His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.”
In this reading “He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum.”
In this reading “His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.”
In this reading “"Sure as eggs--'n where did you come from?" said that stout seaman.”
In this reading “He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum.”
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 The words escaped me like a shot from a gun.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Sure as eggs--'n where did you come from?" said that stout seaman.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum.
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum.
possessive form of “bill” — a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum.
(of an eye) reddened as a result of locally congested blood vessels; inflamed
From this reading His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading "Captain Gantline?"
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Sure as eggs--'n where did you come from?" said that stout seaman.
plural of “corner” — a place off to the side of an area
From this reading His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.
uneven by virtue of having wrinkles or waves
From this reading His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Sure as eggs--'n where did you come from?" said that stout seaman.
the act of consuming liquids
From this reading He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum.
oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food
From this reading "Sure as eggs--'n where did you come from?" said that stout seaman.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading The words escaped me like a shot from a gun.
opinion or judgment
From this reading His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The words escaped me like a shot from a gun.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Captain Gantline?"
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading The words escaped me like a shot from a gun.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The words escaped me like a shot from a gun.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The words escaped me like a shot from a gun.
a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues
From this reading "Sure as eggs--'n where did you come from?" said that stout seaman.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum.
plural of “ripple” — a small wave on the surface of a liquid
From this reading His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.
liquor distilled from fermented molasses
From this reading He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Sure as eggs--'n where did you come from?" said that stout seaman.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.
a man who serves as a sailor
From this reading "Sure as eggs--'n where did you come from?" said that stout seaman.
possessive form of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight
From this reading His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading The words escaped me like a shot from a gun.
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum.
dependable
From this reading "Sure as eggs--'n where did you come from?" said that stout seaman.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "Sure as eggs--'n where did you come from?" said that stout seaman.
apparatus used to communicate at a distance over a wire (usually in Morse code)
From this reading He stood at the bar of Bill's place on Telegraph Hill, drinking rum.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Sure as eggs--'n where did you come from?" said that stout seaman.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The words escaped me like a shot from a gun.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His eyes, crinkled up at the corners like the ripples of a ship's cutwater in a smooth sea, were bloodshot and liquor-soaked.
in or at the place that
From this reading "Sure as eggs--'n where did you come from?" said that stout seaman.
the words that are spoken
From this reading The words escaped me like a shot from a gun.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Sure as eggs--'n where did you come from?" said that stout seaman.
Chapter 9 of The Chief Mate's Yarns by T. Jenkins (Thornton Jenkins) Hains holds 562 sentences, grouped into 113 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 9 holds 562 sentences of The Chief Mate's Yarns, unabridged, divided into 113 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Chief Mate's Yarns by T. Jenkins (Thornton Jenkins) Hains exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 562 sentences, grouped into 113 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 113 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 113 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Chief Mate's Yarns by T. Jenkins (Thornton Jenkins) Hains on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Chief Mate's Yarns section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The Chief Mate's Yarns 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 Chief Mate's Yarns, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
