Chapter 26 of The just steward is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of The just steward is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
John draws breath. A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head.... "Bloody close! And fired from behind!" He looks round, and is shot at from the original quarter to intimate that the retreat was only a feint.
Chapter 26 of The just steward is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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 “crack” — a long narrow opening
From this reading “A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....”
plural of “draw” — a gully that is shallower than a ravine
From this reading “John draws breath.”
deceive by a mock action
From this reading “He looks round, and is shot at from the original quarter to intimate that the retreat was only a feint.”
hollow out in the form of a furrow or groove
From this reading “A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....”
the skin that covers the top of the head
From this reading “A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....”
a large number or amount
From this reading “A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....”
third-person singular of “sing” — deliver by singing
From this reading “A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....”
the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture
From this reading “A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....”
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 “John draws breath.”
In this reading “He looks round, and is shot at from the original quarter to intimate that the retreat was only a feint.”
In this reading “A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....”
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 revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
at or toward the back of something
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
having or covered with or accompanied by blood
From this reading "Bloody close!
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading John draws breath.
a projectile that is fired from a gun
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996)
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading "Bloody close!
plural of “crack” — a long narrow opening
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
plural of “draw” — a gully that is shallower than a ravine
From this reading John draws breath.
deceive by a mock action
From this reading He looks round, and is shot at from the original quarter to intimate that the retreat was only a feint.
having lost your job
From this reading And fired from behind!"
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading And fired from behind!"
hollow out in the form of a furrow or groove
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He looks round, and is shot at from the original quarter to intimate that the retreat was only a feint.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity
From this reading He looks round, and is shot at from the original quarter to intimate that the retreat was only a feint.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He looks round, and is shot at from the original quarter to intimate that the retreat was only a feint.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading John draws breath.
plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading He looks round, and is shot at from the original quarter to intimate that the retreat was only a feint.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
and nothing more
From this reading He looks round, and is shot at from the original quarter to intimate that the retreat was only a feint.
preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed
From this reading He looks round, and is shot at from the original quarter to intimate that the retreat was only a feint.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
one of four equal parts
From this reading He looks round, and is shot at from the original quarter to intimate that the retreat was only a feint.
(military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
From this reading He looks round, and is shot at from the original quarter to intimate that the retreat was only a feint.
a pistol with a revolving cylinder (usually having six chambers for bullets)
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
precisely, exactly
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading He looks round, and is shot at from the original quarter to intimate that the retreat was only a feint.
the skin that covers the top of the head
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
a large number or amount
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading He looks round, and is shot at from the original quarter to intimate that the retreat was only a feint.
third-person singular of “sing” — deliver by singing
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He looks round, and is shot at from the original quarter to intimate that the retreat was only a feint.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He looks round, and is shot at from the original quarter to intimate that the retreat was only a feint.
the upper part of anything
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He looks round, and is shot at from the original quarter to intimate that the retreat was only a feint.
the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture
From this reading A revolver cracks behind him--a bullet sings past his right cheek--and another, whistling through his hair, burns as it scores a furrow in the scalp at the top of his head....
Chapter 26 of The just steward by Richard Dehan holds 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 26 holds 402 sentences of The just steward, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of The just steward by Richard Dehan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 26 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 just steward by Richard Dehan on this page, its source edition and its audio.
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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 just steward section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The just steward 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 just steward, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
