Chapter 2 of The Fighting Edge is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Fighting Edge is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat. "Be back soon, girl." Her eyes were on the corral, from which her father was driving the dogies. "What's it to me?" she said with sullen resentment. "More'n you think.
Chapter 2 of The Fighting Edge is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/47 · 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.
past form of “construe” — make sense of; assign a meaning to
From this reading “"A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.”
enclose in a corral
From this reading “Her eyes were on the corral, from which her father was driving the dogies.”
having the power of driving or impelling
From this reading “Her eyes were on the corral, from which her father was driving the dogies.”
the month following May and preceding July
From this reading “"A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.”
a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
From this reading “"What's it to me?" she said with sullen resentment.”
showing courage
From this reading “"A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.”
showing a brooding ill humor
From this reading “"What's it to me?" she said with sullen resentment.”
something that is a source of danger
From this reading “"A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.”
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 “"A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.”
ride away on a horse, for example
In this reading “"A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.”
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 "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
later than; following
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "Be back soon, girl."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Be back soon, girl."
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
past form of “construe” — make sense of; assign a meaning to
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
enclose in a corral
From this reading Her eyes were on the corral, from which her father was driving the dogies.
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her eyes were on the corral, from which her father was driving the dogies.
having the power of driving or impelling
From this reading Her eyes were on the corral, from which her father was driving the dogies.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Her eyes were on the corral, from which her father was driving the dogies.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Her eyes were on the corral, from which her father was driving the dogies.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Her eyes were on the corral, from which her father was driving the dogies.
a young female
From this reading "Be back soon, girl."
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her eyes were on the corral, from which her father was driving the dogies.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "What's it to me?" she said with sullen resentment.
the month following May and preceding July
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "What's it to me?" she said with sullen resentment.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "More'n you think.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Her eyes were on the corral, from which her father was driving the dogies.
make a promise or commitment
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
From this reading "What's it to me?" she said with sullen resentment.
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "What's it to me?" she said with sullen resentment.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "What's it to me?" she said with sullen resentment.
in the near future
From this reading "Be back soon, girl."
showing courage
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
showing a brooding ill humor
From this reading "What's it to me?" she said with sullen resentment.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Her eyes were on the corral, from which her father was driving the dogies.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "More'n you think.
something that is a source of danger
From this reading "A SPUNKY LI'L' DEVIL" Houck rode away next morning after breakfast, but not before he had made a promise June construed as a threat.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "What's it to me?" she said with sullen resentment.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Her eyes were on the corral, from which her father was driving the dogies.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Her eyes were on the corral, from which her father was driving the dogies.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What's it to me?" she said with sullen resentment.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Her eyes were on the corral, from which her father was driving the dogies.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "What's it to me?" she said with sullen resentment.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "More'n you think.
Chapter 2 of The Fighting Edge by William MacLeod Raine holds 237 sentences, grouped into 48 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 237 sentences of The Fighting Edge, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Fighting Edge by William MacLeod Raine exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 237 sentences, grouped into 48 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 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 48 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 Fighting Edge by William MacLeod Raine on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7307 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26520 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26520, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1462 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Fighting Edge section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Fighting Edge 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 Fighting Edge, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
