Chapter 23 of Tom Fairfield's Pluck and Luck is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of Tom Fairfield's Pluck and Luck is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CORNERED Tom Fairfield heard the sound of a struggle ahead of him in the blackness. He heard the panting of breaths, heavily drawn, and the impact of blows. "I'm coming, Ray! I'm coming. Hold him!" yelled Tom.
Chapter 23 of Tom Fairfield's Pluck and Luck is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/27 · 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.
the quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white)
From this reading “CORNERED Tom Fairfield heard the sound of a struggle ahead of him in the blackness.”
plural of “blow” — a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon
From this reading “He heard the panting of breaths, heavily drawn, and the impact of blows.”
plural of “breath” — the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading “He heard the panting of breaths, heavily drawn, and the impact of blows.”
forced to turn and face attackers
From this reading “CORNERED Tom Fairfield heard the sound of a struggle ahead of him in the blackness.”
the striking of one body against another
From this reading “He heard the panting of breaths, heavily drawn, and the impact of blows.”
breathing heavily (as after exertion)
From this reading “He heard the panting of breaths, heavily drawn, and the impact of blows.”
a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading “"I'm coming, Ray!”
in a vehement outcry
From this reading “Hold him!" yelled Tom.”
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 CORNERED Tom Fairfield heard the sound of a struggle ahead of him in the blackness.
at or in the front
From this reading CORNERED Tom Fairfield heard the sound of a struggle ahead of him in the blackness.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He heard the panting of breaths, heavily drawn, and the impact of blows.
the quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white)
From this reading CORNERED Tom Fairfield heard the sound of a struggle ahead of him in the blackness.
plural of “blow” — a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon
From this reading He heard the panting of breaths, heavily drawn, and the impact of blows.
plural of “breath” — the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading He heard the panting of breaths, heavily drawn, and the impact of blows.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading "I'm coming, Ray!
forced to turn and face attackers
From this reading CORNERED Tom Fairfield heard the sound of a struggle ahead of him in the blackness.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading He heard the panting of breaths, heavily drawn, and the impact of blows.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CORNERED Tom Fairfield heard the sound of a struggle ahead of him in the blackness.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He heard the panting of breaths, heavily drawn, and the impact of blows.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading CORNERED Tom Fairfield heard the sound of a struggle ahead of him in the blackness.
to a considerable degree
From this reading He heard the panting of breaths, heavily drawn, and the impact of blows.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading CORNERED Tom Fairfield heard the sound of a struggle ahead of him in the blackness.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Hold him!" yelled Tom.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm coming, Ray!
the striking of one body against another
From this reading He heard the panting of breaths, heavily drawn, and the impact of blows.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading CORNERED Tom Fairfield heard the sound of a struggle ahead of him in the blackness.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading CORNERED Tom Fairfield heard the sound of a struggle ahead of him in the blackness.
breathing heavily (as after exertion)
From this reading He heard the panting of breaths, heavily drawn, and the impact of blows.
a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading "I'm coming, Ray!
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading CORNERED Tom Fairfield heard the sound of a struggle ahead of him in the blackness.
make a strenuous or labored effort
From this reading CORNERED Tom Fairfield heard the sound of a struggle ahead of him in the blackness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading CORNERED Tom Fairfield heard the sound of a struggle ahead of him in the blackness.
male cat
From this reading CORNERED Tom Fairfield heard the sound of a struggle ahead of him in the blackness.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading Hold him!" yelled Tom.
Chapter 23 of Tom Fairfield's Pluck and Luck by Allen Chapman holds 136 sentences, grouped into 28 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 23 holds 136 sentences of Tom Fairfield's Pluck and Luck, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of Tom Fairfield's Pluck and Luck by Allen Chapman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 136 sentences, grouped into 28 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 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 28 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 23 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 Tom Fairfield's Pluck and Luck by Allen Chapman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3184 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14083 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #14083, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 265 minutes of reading across 637 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tom Fairfield's Pluck and Luck section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of Tom Fairfield's Pluck and Luck 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 Tom Fairfield's Pluck and Luck, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
