Chapter 17 of The First Capture is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of The First Capture is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
ZEKE'S EXHIBITION OF STRENGTH. "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar. "We don't want any men like you aboard here. That's the way ashore." "Who made you master of this vessel?" answered the man, thrusting Zeke's arm aside.
Chapter 17 of The First Capture is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/29 · 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.
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
From this reading “"We don't want any men like you aboard here.”
towards the shore from the water
From this reading “That's the way ashore."”
a band that fits around the neck and is usually folded over
From this reading “"Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.”
the act of exhibiting
From this reading “ZEKE'S EXHIBITION OF STRENGTH.”
the act of grasping
From this reading “"Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.”
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading “"Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.”
the act of physically reaching or thrusting out
From this reading “"Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.”
a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)
From this reading “"Who made you master of this vessel?" answered the man, thrusting Zeke's arm aside.”
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.
hold firmly
In this reading “"Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.”
In this reading “"We don't want any men like you aboard here.”
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 "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
From this reading "We don't want any men like you aboard here.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "Who made you master of this vessel?" answered the man, thrusting Zeke's arm aside.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "We don't want any men like you aboard here.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading "Who made you master of this vessel?" answered the man, thrusting Zeke's arm aside.
towards the shore from the water
From this reading That's the way ashore."
on or to one side
From this reading "Who made you master of this vessel?" answered the man, thrusting Zeke's arm aside.
a band that fits around the neck and is usually folded over
From this reading "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We don't want any men like you aboard here.
the act of exhibiting
From this reading ZEKE'S EXHIBITION OF STRENGTH.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.
the act of grasping
From this reading "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "We don't want any men like you aboard here.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "We don't want any men like you aboard here.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading "Who made you master of this vessel?" answered the man, thrusting Zeke's arm aside.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "Who made you master of this vessel?" answered the man, thrusting Zeke's arm aside.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading "Who made you master of this vessel?" answered the man, thrusting Zeke's arm aside.
the force of workers available
From this reading "We don't want any men like you aboard here.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ZEKE'S EXHIBITION OF STRENGTH.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.
the act of physically reaching or thrusting out
From this reading "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.
express in words
From this reading "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading ZEKE'S EXHIBITION OF STRENGTH.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That's the way ashore."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Who made you master of this vessel?" answered the man, thrusting Zeke's arm aside.
a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)
From this reading "Who made you master of this vessel?" answered the man, thrusting Zeke's arm aside.
a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading "Who made you master of this vessel?" answered the man, thrusting Zeke's arm aside.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "We don't want any men like you aboard here.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading That's the way ashore."
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "We don't want any men like you aboard here.
which person or people
From this reading "Who made you master of this vessel?" answered the man, thrusting Zeke's arm aside.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "We don't want any men like you aboard here.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Say, hold on, friend," said Zeke, reaching out his hand and laying a grip on the storekeeper's collar.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ZEKE'S EXHIBITION OF STRENGTH.
Chapter 17 of The First Capture by Harry Castlemon holds 148 sentences, grouped into 30 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 17 holds 148 sentences of The First Capture, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of The First Capture by Harry Castlemon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 148 sentences, grouped into 30 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 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 30 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 17 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 First Capture by Harry Castlemon on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2693 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #42113 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #42113, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 224 minutes of reading across 539 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The First Capture section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of The First Capture 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 First Capture, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
