A Modern Buccaneer

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of A Modern Buccaneer is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Rolf Boldrewood • Curated US English Learning Edition

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We started up and gazed towards the spot whence the cry had come.

The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XVI Reading 1/82

A Modern Buccaneer Rolf Boldrewood

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of A Modern Buccaneer is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

A SWIM FOR LIFE The words died on her lips as a shriek, wild, agonising, despairing, rang through the air, and startled not only the little group of pleased listeners, but all who happened to be on deck at the time. We started up and gazed towards the spot whence the cry had come. The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch. The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft. All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.

A Modern Buccaneer

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of A Modern Buccaneer is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

We started up and gazed towards the spot whence the cry had come.

/wiː ˈstɑːrtɪd ʌp ənd ɡeɪzd təˈwɔːrdz ðə spɑːt wens ðə kraɪ hæd kʌm/

Line 3

The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

Line 4

The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

Line 5

All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.

Learner Dictionary

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.

aft adverb US /æft/

at or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane

From this reading “The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.”

bounding verb US /ˈbaʊndɪŋ/

-ing form of “bound” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading “The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.”

despairing adjective US /dɪˈsperɪŋ/

arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope

From this reading “A SWIM FOR LIFE The words died on her lips as a shriek, wild, agonising, despairing, rang through the air, and startled not only the little group of pleased listeners, but all who happened to be on deck at the time.”

frantically adverb US /ˈfræntəkəli/

in an uncontrolled manner

From this reading “All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.”

listeners noun US /ˈlɪsənərz/

plural of “listener” — someone who listens attentively

shriek noun US /ʃriːk/

sharp piercing cry

steward noun US /ˈstuːərd/

someone who manages property or other affairs for someone else

From this reading “The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.”

wringing verb US /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/

-ing form of “wring” — twist and press out of shape

From this reading “All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

opposite side adjective + noun

In this reading “The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.”

on deck preposition + noun

In this reading “A SWIM FOR LIFE The words died on her lips as a shriek, wild, agonising, despairing, rang through the air, and startled not only the little group of pleased listeners, but all who happened to be on deck at the time.”

towards the spot preposition + article + noun counted as “towards … spot”

In this reading “We started up and gazed towards the spot whence the cry had come.”

little group adjective + noun

through the air preposition + article + noun counted as “through … air”

followed by verb + particle counted as “follow by”

In this reading “The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.”

rang through verb + particle counted as “ring through”

started up verb + adjective counted as “start up”

get going or set in motion

In this reading “We started up and gazed towards the spot whence the cry had come.”

All words in this reading · 92

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A SWIM FOR LIFE The words died on her lips as a shriek, wild, agonising, despairing, rang through the air, and startled not only the little group of pleased listeners, but all who happened to be on deck at the time.

aftadverbUS /æft/

at or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane

From this reading The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

agonisingadjective

extremely painful

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

blackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

boundingverbUS /ˈbaʊndɪŋ/

-ing form of “bound” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

calmlyadverbUS /ˈkɑːmli/

with self-possession (especially in times of stress)

From this reading The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

captainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

catchverbUS /kætʃ/

discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

causenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.

colonelnounUS /ˈkɜːrnəl/

a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general

From this reading The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading We started up and gazed towards the spot whence the cry had come.

cookverbUS /kʊk/

prepare a hot meal

From this reading The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

cricketer's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

cryverbUS /kraɪ/

utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading We started up and gazed towards the spot whence the cry had come.

decknounUS /dek/

any of various platforms built into a vessel

despairingadjectiveUS /dɪˈsperɪŋ/

arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope

diedverbUS /daɪd/

past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

droppedverbUS /drɑːpt/

inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground

From this reading The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

foc'sle

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

FORprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

franticallyadverbUS /ˈfræntəkəli/

in an uncontrolled manner

From this reading All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

gazedverbUS /ɡeɪzd/

past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading We started up and gazed towards the spot whence the cry had come.

gazingverbUS /ˈɡeɪzɪŋ/

-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.

groupnounUS /ɡruːp/

any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

guessedverbUS /ɡest/

past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading We started up and gazed towards the spot whence the cry had come.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

hurledverbUS /hɜːrld/

past form of “hurl” — throw forcefully

From this reading The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.

LIFEnounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

lipsnounUS /lɪps/

plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking

listenersnounUS /ˈlɪsənərz/

plural of “listener” — someone who listens attentively

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

meerschaumnoun

a white clayey mineral

From this reading The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

objectnounUS /ˈɑːbdʒekt/

a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow

From this reading All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

oppositeadjectiveUS /ˈɑːpəzət/

being directly across from each other; facing

From this reading The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

Percival

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.

pleasedadjectiveUS /pliːzd/

experiencing or manifesting pleasure

rangverbUS /ræŋ/

inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously

readingnounUS /ˈriːdɪŋ/

the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message

From this reading The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

savedadjectiveUS /seɪvd/

rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin

From this reading The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.

seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.

shrieknounUS /ʃriːk/

sharp piercing cry

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

smartadjectiveUS /smɑːrt/

showing mental alertness and calculation and resourcefulness

From this reading The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

smokingnounUS /ˈsmoʊkɪŋ/

the act of smoking tobacco or other substances

From this reading The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

spotnounUS /spɑːt/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading We started up and gazed towards the spot whence the cry had come.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading We started up and gazed towards the spot whence the cry had come.

startledadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtəld/

excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement

stewardnounUS /ˈstuːərd/

someone who manages property or other affairs for someone else

From this reading The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

SWIMverbUS /swɪm/

travel through water

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading We started up and gazed towards the spot whence the cry had come.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading We started up and gazed towards the spot whence the cry had come.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We started up and gazed towards the spot whence the cry had come.

whenceadverbUS /wens/

an old word meaning “from where”

From this reading We started up and gazed towards the spot whence the cry had come.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading The colonel, who had been reading on the opposite side of the deck, calmly smoking the while, dropped his book and only saved his meerschaum by a cricketer's smart catch.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

wildadjectiveUS /waɪld/

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The captain came bounding up from below, followed by the steward and his boy; the foc'sle hands, with the black cook, hurled themselves aft.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

wringingverbUS /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/

-ing form of “wring” — twist and press out of shape

From this reading All guessed the cause as they saw Mrs. Percival wringing her hands frantically and gazing at an object in the sea.

Chapter 16 of A Modern Buccaneer by Rolf Boldrewood holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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.

What does chapter 16 of A Modern Buccaneer contain?

Chapter 16 holds 414 sentences of A Modern Buccaneer, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of A Modern Buccaneer by Rolf Boldrewood exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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.

How do I study chapter 16 of A Modern Buccaneer?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #35431, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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Vocabulary met early in A Modern Buccaneer

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Modern Buccaneer, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Desire: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Modern Buccaneer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Acknowledge: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Modern Buccaneer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Louis: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Modern Buccaneer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XVI

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