Chapter 9 of The Silent Bullet is here in full — 206 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Silent Bullet is here in full — 206 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“What's that” I asked, eyeing the sinister looking little box suspiciously. “An infernal machine? You're not going to blow the culprit into eternity, I hope.” “Never mind what it is, Walter. You'll find that out in due time.
Chapter 9 of The Silent Bullet is here in full — 206 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 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.
someone who perpetrates wrongdoing
From this reading “You're not going to blow the culprit into eternity, I hope.””
time without end
From this reading “You're not going to blow the culprit into eternity, I hope.””
-ing form of “eye” — look at
From this reading ““What's that” I asked, eyeing the sinister looking little box suspiciously.”
characteristic of or resembling Hell
From this reading ““An infernal machine?”
any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading ““An infernal machine?”
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading ““What's that” I asked, eyeing the sinister looking little box suspiciously.”
with suspicion
From this reading ““What's that” I asked, eyeing the sinister looking little box suspiciously.”
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading ““Never mind what it is, Walter.”
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.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “An infernal machine?
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “What's that” I asked, eyeing the sinister looking little box suspiciously.
exhale hard
From this reading You're not going to blow the culprit into eternity, I hope.”
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading “What's that” I asked, eyeing the sinister looking little box suspiciously.
someone who perpetrates wrongdoing
From this reading You're not going to blow the culprit into eternity, I hope.”
owed and payable immediately or on demand
From this reading You'll find that out in due time.
time without end
From this reading You're not going to blow the culprit into eternity, I hope.”
-ing form of “eye” — look at
From this reading “What's that” I asked, eyeing the sinister looking little box suspiciously.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading You'll find that out in due time.
the act of departing
From this reading You're not going to blow the culprit into eternity, I hope.”
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading You're not going to blow the culprit into eternity, I hope.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “What's that” I asked, eyeing the sinister looking little box suspiciously.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading You'll find that out in due time.
characteristic of or resembling Hell
From this reading “An infernal machine?
moving to the inside of something
From this reading You're not going to blow the culprit into eternity, I hope.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Never mind what it is, Walter.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Never mind what it is, Walter.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “What's that” I asked, eyeing the sinister looking little box suspiciously.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading “What's that” I asked, eyeing the sinister looking little box suspiciously.
any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading “An infernal machine?
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading “Never mind what it is, Walter.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading “Never mind what it is, Walter.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading You're not going to blow the culprit into eternity, I hope.”
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading You'll find that out in due time.
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading “What's that” I asked, eyeing the sinister looking little box suspiciously.
with suspicion
From this reading “What's that” I asked, eyeing the sinister looking little box suspiciously.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “What's that” I asked, eyeing the sinister looking little box suspiciously.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “What's that” I asked, eyeing the sinister looking little box suspiciously.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading You'll find that out in due time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading You're not going to blow the culprit into eternity, I hope.”
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading “Never mind what it is, Walter.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “Never mind what it is, Walter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What's that” I asked, eyeing the sinister looking little box suspiciously.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You'll find that out in due time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You're not going to blow the culprit into eternity, I hope.”
Chapter 9 of The Silent Bullet by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve holds 206 sentences, grouped into 42 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 9 holds 206 sentences of The Silent Bullet, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Silent Bullet by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 206 sentences, grouped into 42 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 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 42 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 9 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 Silent Bullet by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5837 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2454 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2454, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 486 minutes of reading across 1168 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Silent Bullet section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of The Silent Bullet 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 Silent Bullet, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
