Chapter 9 of Under Blanco's eye is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Under Blanco's eye is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“It is your turn, mi amigo!” “Ready!” responded Hal, rubbing his eyes and then springing to his feet. As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept. It was past sunrise. When he had lain down, the earth was still wrapped in darkness.
Chapter 9 of Under Blanco's eye is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/29 · 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.
a friend or comrade
From this reading ““It is your turn, mi amigo!””
inflected form of “lie” — be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading “As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.”
German arms manufacturer and inventor of a repeating rifle and pistol (1838-1914)
From this reading “As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.”
past form of “respond” — show a response or a reaction to something
From this reading ““Ready!” responded Hal, rubbing his eyes and then springing to his feet.”
the resistance encountered when one body is moved in contact with another
From this reading ““Ready!” responded Hal, rubbing his eyes and then springing to his feet.”
-ing form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading ““Ready!” responded Hal, rubbing his eyes and then springing to his feet.”
the first light of day
From this reading “It was past sunrise.”
covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak
From this reading “When he had lain down, the earth was still wrapped in darkness.”
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.
assume a reclining position
In this reading “When he had lain down, the earth was still wrapped in darkness.”
reach the point where one should be after a delay
In this reading “As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.”
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.
a friend or comrade
From this reading “It is your turn, mi amigo!”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Ready!” responded Hal, rubbing his eyes and then springing to his feet.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading When he had lain down, the earth was still wrapped in darkness.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading When he had lain down, the earth was still wrapped in darkness.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading When he had lain down, the earth was still wrapped in darkness.
opinion or judgment
From this reading “Ready!” responded Hal, rubbing his eyes and then springing to his feet.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading “Ready!” responded Hal, rubbing his eyes and then springing to his feet.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ready!” responded Hal, rubbing his eyes and then springing to his feet.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Ready!” responded Hal, rubbing his eyes and then springing to his feet.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When he had lain down, the earth was still wrapped in darkness.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “It is your turn, mi amigo!”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It is your turn, mi amigo!”
inflected form of “lie” — be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.
German arms manufacturer and inventor of a repeating rifle and pistol (1838-1914)
From this reading As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.
destruction of heart tissue resulting from obstruction of the blood supply to the heart muscle
From this reading “It is your turn, mi amigo!”
the time that has elapsed
From this reading It was past sunrise.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading “Ready!” responded Hal, rubbing his eyes and then springing to his feet.
past form of “respond” — show a response or a reaction to something
From this reading “Ready!” responded Hal, rubbing his eyes and then springing to his feet.
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.
the resistance encountered when one body is moved in contact with another
From this reading “Ready!” responded Hal, rubbing his eyes and then springing to his feet.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.
-ing form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading “Ready!” responded Hal, rubbing his eyes and then springing to his feet.
not in physical motion
From this reading When he had lain down, the earth was still wrapped in darkness.
the first light of day
From this reading It was past sunrise.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Ready!” responded Hal, rubbing his eyes and then springing to his feet.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Ready!” responded Hal, rubbing his eyes and then springing to his feet.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading “It is your turn, mi amigo!”
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was past sunrise.
at the time that
From this reading When he had lain down, the earth was still wrapped in darkness.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading As he did so, he caught up the Mauser rifle which had lain at his side as he slept.
covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak
From this reading When he had lain down, the earth was still wrapped in darkness.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “It is your turn, mi amigo!”
Chapter 9 of Under Blanco's eye by Douglas Wells holds 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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 9 holds 149 sentences of Under Blanco's eye, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Under Blanco's eye by Douglas Wells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 30 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 Under Blanco's eye by Douglas Wells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1531 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #68379 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #68379, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 127 minutes of reading across 307 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Under Blanco's eye section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Under Blanco's eye 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 Under Blanco's eye, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
