Chapter 16 of The Free Range is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of The Free Range is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described. The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder. "Get up, Mike," she cried into his ear. "Somethin's wrong here. Henry's nowhere around."
Chapter 16 of The Free Range is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/26 · 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.
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading “The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.”
represented in words especially with sharpness and detail
From this reading “A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.”
in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading “The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.”
possessive form of “henry” — a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second
From this reading “Henry's nowhere around."”
past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading “A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.”
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading “A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.”
device for converting sound waves into electrical energy
From this reading “A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.”
an insignificant place
From this reading “Henry's nowhere around."”
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 MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Henry's nowhere around."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Get up, Mike," she cried into his ear.
the first light of day
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
represented in words especially with sharpness and detail
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading "Get up, Mike," she cried into his ear.
emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity)
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Get up, Mike," she cried into his ear.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
possessive form of “henry” — a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second
From this reading Henry's nowhere around."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Somethin's wrong here.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Get up, Mike," she cried into his ear.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "Get up, Mike," she cried into his ear.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
device for converting sound waves into electrical energy
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
a form of address for a man
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
an insignificant place
From this reading Henry's nowhere around."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Get up, Mike," she cried into his ear.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Somethin's wrong here.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "Get up, Mike," she cried into his ear.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading A MESSAGE BY A STRANGE HAND What were the feelings of Mr. Mike Stelton that dawn had better be imagined than described.
at the time that
From this reading The first he knew of any calamity was when Mrs. Bissell, unable to find her husband near the house, shook him frantically by the shoulder.
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading "Somethin's wrong here.
Chapter 16 of The Free Range by Francis William Sullivan holds 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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 16 holds 131 sentences of The Free Range, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of The Free Range by Francis William Sullivan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 27 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 16 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.
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Yes. All 3550 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27511 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #27511, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 295 minutes of reading across 710 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Free Range section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of The Free Range 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 Free Range, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
