Chapter 26 of The Mercenary is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of The Mercenary is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE RESTLESSNESS OF STEPHANIE. The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army. Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment. Where there was none, a new one was formed. All found an entry on some roster.
Chapter 26 of The Mercenary is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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 “fugitive” — someone who flees from an uncongenial situation
From this reading “The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.”
a part of the cell containing DNA and RNA and responsible for growth and reproduction
From this reading “Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.”
belonging to or concerning a regiment
From this reading “Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.”
the quality of being ceaselessly moving or active
From this reading “THE RESTLESSNESS OF STEPHANIE.”
a list of names
From this reading “All found an entry on some roster.”
an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading
From this reading “The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.”
plural of “standard” — a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated
From this reading “Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.”
-ing form of “transform” — subject to a mathematical transformation
From this reading “The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.”
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 “The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.”
In this reading “The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.”
In this reading “Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.”
In this reading “Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.”
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 Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading All found an entry on some roster.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.
a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state
From this reading The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.
troops trained to fight on horseback
From this reading Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.
an item inserted in a written record
From this reading All found an entry on some roster.
past form of “exist” — have an existence, be extant
From this reading Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.
having or given a form or shape
From this reading Where there was none, a new one was formed.
set up or found
From this reading All found an entry on some roster.
plural of “fugitive” — someone who flees from an uncongenial situation
From this reading The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.
an army unit consisting of soldiers who fight on foot
From this reading Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading Where there was none, a new one was formed.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.
not one, and not any
From this reading Where there was none, a new one was formed.
a part of the cell containing DNA and RNA and responsible for growth and reproduction
From this reading Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE RESTLESSNESS OF STEPHANIE.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading All found an entry on some roster.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Where there was none, a new one was formed.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.
subject to rigid discipline, order, and systematization
From this reading Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.
belonging to or concerning a regiment
From this reading Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.
the quality of being ceaselessly moving or active
From this reading THE RESTLESSNESS OF STEPHANIE.
a list of names
From this reading All found an entry on some roster.
an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading
From this reading The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading All found an entry on some roster.
plural of “standard” — a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated
From this reading Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE RESTLESSNESS OF STEPHANIE.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE RESTLESSNESS OF STEPHANIE.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Where there was none, a new one was formed.
-ing form of “transform” — subject to a mathematical transformation
From this reading The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of fugitives into the semblance of an army.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Where there was none, a new one was formed.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.
in or at the place that
From this reading Cavalry and infantry were re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in the shape of an old regiment.
Chapter 26 of The Mercenary by W. J. Eccott holds 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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 152 sentences of The Mercenary, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of The Mercenary by W. J. Eccott exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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 Mercenary by W. J. Eccott on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5752 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40567 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #40567, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 479 minutes of reading across 1151 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Mercenary section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Mercenary 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 Mercenary, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
