Chapter 4 of The Wire Devils is here in full — 441 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Wire Devils is here in full — 441 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The Hawk's lips moved. “Number Three and Number Seven,” whispered the Hawk gently. “I—I don't understand,” said Calhoun dazedly. “Then why are you telling me this. And why are you staying here?
Chapter 4 of The Wire Devils is here in full — 441 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
in a gradual manner
From this reading ““Number Three and Number Seven,” whispered the Hawk gently.”
diurnal bird of prey typically having short rounded wings and a long tail
From this reading “The Hawk's lips moved.”
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading “The Hawk's lips moved.”
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading ““Number Three and Number Seven,” whispered the Hawk gently.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading ““Number Three and Number Seven,” whispered the Hawk gently.”
-ing form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading “And why are you staying here?”
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading ““Then why are you telling me this.”
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading ““Number Three and Number Seven,” whispered the Hawk gently.”
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 “And why are you staying here?”
In this reading ““Number Three and Number Seven,” whispered the Hawk gently.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Number Three and Number Seven,” whispered the Hawk gently.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Then why are you telling me this.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I—I don't understand,” said Calhoun dazedly.
in a daze; in a dazed manner
From this reading “I—I don't understand,” said Calhoun dazedly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I—I don't understand,” said Calhoun dazedly.
in a gradual manner
From this reading “Number Three and Number Seven,” whispered the Hawk gently.
diurnal bird of prey typically having short rounded wings and a long tail
From this reading “Number Three and Number Seven,” whispered the Hawk gently.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Hawk's lips moved.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading And why are you staying here?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I—I don't understand,” said Calhoun dazedly.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading The Hawk's lips moved.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Then why are you telling me this.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading The Hawk's lips moved.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading “Number Three and Number Seven,” whispered the Hawk gently.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I—I don't understand,” said Calhoun dazedly.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading “Number Three and Number Seven,” whispered the Hawk gently.
-ing form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading And why are you staying here?
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading “Then why are you telling me this.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Hawk's lips moved.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Then why are you telling me this.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Then why are you telling me this.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading “Number Three and Number Seven,” whispered the Hawk gently.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading “I—I don't understand,” said Calhoun dazedly.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading “Number Three and Number Seven,” whispered the Hawk gently.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Then why are you telling me this.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Then why are you telling me this.
Chapter 4 of The Wire Devils by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard holds 441 sentences, grouped into 89 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 4 holds 441 sentences of The Wire Devils, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Wire Devils by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 441 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 4 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 Wire Devils by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4380 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52084 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #52084, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 365 minutes of reading across 876 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Wire Devils section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Wire Devils 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 Wire Devils, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
