Chapter 24 of The Forfeit is here in full — 310 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIV
Chapter 24 of The Forfeit is here in full — 310 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN EPIC BATTLE The station house was extensive. It was a bunkhouse of lesser dimensions. Jeff's eyes moved swiftly over the dim interior. The remoter corners of the place were shadowed. But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.
Chapter 24 of The Forfeit is here in full — 310 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/62 · 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.
plural of “blanket” — bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
From this reading “But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.”
plural of “bunk” — a long trough for feeding cattle
From this reading “But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.”
plural of “dimension” — the magnitude of something in a particular direction (especially length or width or height)
From this reading “It was a bunkhouse of lesser dimensions.”
very imposing or impressive; surpassing the ordinary (especially in size or scale)
From this reading “AN EPIC BATTLE The station house was extensive.”
large in spatial extent or range or scope or quantity
From this reading “AN EPIC BATTLE The station house was extensive.”
of less size or importance
From this reading “It was a bunkhouse of lesser dimensions.”
filled with shade
From this reading “The remoter corners of the place were shadowed.”
morally degraded
From this reading “But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.”
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 It was a bunkhouse of lesser dimensions.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN EPIC BATTLE The station house was extensive.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading AN EPIC BATTLE The station house was extensive.
plural of “blanket” — bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
From this reading But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a bunkhouse of lesser dimensions.
plural of “bunk” — a long trough for feeding cattle
From this reading But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.
plural of “corner” — a place off to the side of an area
From this reading The remoter corners of the place were shadowed.
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading Jeff's eyes moved swiftly over the dim interior.
plural of “dimension” — the magnitude of something in a particular direction (especially length or width or height)
From this reading It was a bunkhouse of lesser dimensions.
very imposing or impressive; surpassing the ordinary (especially in size or scale)
From this reading AN EPIC BATTLE The station house was extensive.
large in spatial extent or range or scope or quantity
From this reading AN EPIC BATTLE The station house was extensive.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Jeff's eyes moved swiftly over the dim interior.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading AN EPIC BATTLE The station house was extensive.
situated within or suitable for inside a building
From this reading Jeff's eyes moved swiftly over the dim interior.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a bunkhouse of lesser dimensions.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jeff's eyes moved swiftly over the dim interior.
of less size or importance
From this reading It was a bunkhouse of lesser dimensions.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading Jeff's eyes moved swiftly over the dim interior.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was a bunkhouse of lesser dimensions.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.
above and across; more than
From this reading Jeff's eyes moved swiftly over the dim interior.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The remoter corners of the place were shadowed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The remoter corners of the place were shadowed.
filled with shade
From this reading The remoter corners of the place were shadowed.
morally degraded
From this reading But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.
a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose
From this reading AN EPIC BATTLE The station house was extensive.
of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement but without being abundant
From this reading But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.
in a swift manner
From this reading Jeff's eyes moved swiftly over the dim interior.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AN EPIC BATTLE The station house was extensive.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.
past form of “tumble” — fall down, as if collapsing
From this reading But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading AN EPIC BATTLE The station house was extensive.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The remoter corners of the place were shadowed.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.
be the cause or source of
From this reading But the light was sufficient to yield him a view of four squalid bunks on which the many-hued blankets were tumbled.
Chapter 24 of The Forfeit by Ridgwell Cullum holds 310 sentences, grouped into 62 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 24 holds 310 sentences of The Forfeit, unabridged, divided into 62 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 24 of The Forfeit by Ridgwell Cullum exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 310 sentences, grouped into 62 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 62 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 62 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 24 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 Forfeit by Ridgwell Cullum on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7964 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19371 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #19371, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1593 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Forfeit section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of The Forfeit 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 Forfeit, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
