Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
A Prairie Courtship
A Prairie Courtship

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of A Prairie Courtship is here in full — 173 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Harold Bindloss • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A Prairie Courtship
Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.
The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.
"They're coming this way, aren't they?" she asked.
"They seem to be," replied Thorne.
"One of them looks like the corporal, and I shouldn't wonder if he wanted a word with me."
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Prairie Courtship

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of A Prairie Courtship is here in full — 173 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.
Line 2
The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.
Line 3
"They're coming this way, aren't they?" she asked.
Line 4
"They seem to be," replied Thorne.
Line 5
"One of them looks like the corporal, and I shouldn't wonder if he wanted a word with me."

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.

Bluff noun US /blʌf/

a high steep bank (usually formed by river erosion)

From this reading “A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
compromise verb US /ˈkɑːmprəmaɪz/

make a compromise; arrive at a compromise

From this reading “A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
corporal noun US /ˈkɔːrpərəl/

a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines

From this reading “"One of them looks like the corporal, and I shouldn't wonder if he wanted a word with me."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
crest noun US /krest/

the top line of a hill, mountain, or wave

From this reading “A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
driving adjective US /ˈdraɪvɪŋ/

having the power of driving or impelling

From this reading “A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Graham's noun US /ˈɡreɪəmz/

possessive form of “graham” — United States evangelical preacher famous as a mass evangelist (born in 1918)

From this reading “A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
horsemen noun US /ˈhɔːrsmən/

plural of “horseman” — a man skilled in equitation

From this reading “A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sunlight noun US /ˈsʌnlaɪt/

the rays of the sun

From this reading “The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

became visible verb + adjective counted as “become visible”

In this reading “A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.”

1,452 times in 426,211 chapters
glanced at verb + particle counted as “glance at”

In this reading “The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.”

58,318 times in 426,211 chapters
on the crest preposition + article + noun counted as “on … crest”

In this reading “A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.”

1,696 times in 426,211 chapters
about a week preposition + article + noun counted as “about … week”

In this reading “A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.”

2,607 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 71

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 COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Alison

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

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

Pending verification
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aren't

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

From this reading "They're coming this way, aren't they?" she asked.

Pending verification
askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "They're coming this way, aren't they?" she asked.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "They seem to be," replied Thorne.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
becameverbUS /bɪˈkeɪm/

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BluffnounUS /blʌf/

a high steep bank (usually formed by river erosion)

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading "They're coming this way, aren't they?" she asked.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
companionnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
COMPROMISEverbUS /ˈkɑːmprəmaɪz/

make a compromise; arrive at a compromise

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
corporalnounUS /ˈkɔːrpərəl/

a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines

From this reading "One of them looks like the corporal, and I shouldn't wonder if he wanted a word with me."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
couplenounUS /ˈkʌpəl/

a pair who associate with one another

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
crestnounUS /krest/

the top line of a hill, mountain, or wave

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dazzlinglyadverb

in a manner or to a degree that dazzles the beholder

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
drivingadjectiveUS /ˈdraɪvɪŋ/

having the power of driving or impelling

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
escapenounUS /ɪˈskeɪp/

the act of escaping physically

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fierceadjectiveUS /fɪrs/

marked by extreme and violent energy

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fixedadjectiveUS /fɪkst/

(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
glancedverbUS /ɡlænst/

past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Graham'snounUS /ˈɡreɪəmz/

possessive form of “graham” — United States evangelical preacher famous as a mass evangelist (born in 1918)

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "One of them looks like the corporal, and I shouldn't wonder if he wanted a word with me."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
horsemennounUS /ˈhɔːrsmən/

plural of “horseman” — a man skilled in equitation

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "One of them looks like the corporal, and I shouldn't wonder if he wanted a word with me."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "One of them looks like the corporal, and I shouldn't wonder if he wanted a word with me."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading "One of them looks like the corporal, and I shouldn't wonder if he wanted a word with me."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
looksnounUS /lʊks/

plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading "One of them looks like the corporal, and I shouldn't wonder if he wanted a word with me."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "One of them looks like the corporal, and I shouldn't wonder if he wanted a word with me."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
parasolnoun

a handheld collapsible source of shade

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading "They seem to be," replied Thorne.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
riseverbUS /raɪz/

move upward

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading "They seem to be," replied Thorne.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "They're coming this way, aren't they?" she asked.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
shoneverbUS /ʃoʊn/

inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shouldn't

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

From this reading "One of them looks like the corporal, and I shouldn't wonder if he wanted a word with me."

Pending verification
sunlightnounUS /ˈsʌnlaɪt/

the rays of the sun

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading "They're coming this way, aren't they?" she asked.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
They're

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

From this reading "They're coming this way, aren't they?" she asked.

Pending verification
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "They're coming this way, aren't they?" she asked.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Thorne

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

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

Pending verification
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "They seem to be," replied Thorne.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
visibleadjectiveUS /ˈvɪzəbəl/

capable of being seen; or open to easy view

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading "One of them looks like the corporal, and I shouldn't wonder if he wanted a word with me."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading "They're coming this way, aren't they?" she asked.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading The girl glanced at them from under her white parasol, which shone dazzlingly in the fierce sunlight, and then fixed her eyes on her companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Winthrop's

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

From this reading A COMPROMISE Thorne was driving Alison home from Graham's Bluff one afternoon about a week after Winthrop's escape when a couple of horsemen became visible on the crest of a low rise.

Pending verification
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "One of them looks like the corporal, and I shouldn't wonder if he wanted a word with me."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wondernounUS /ˈwʌndər/

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading "One of them looks like the corporal, and I shouldn't wonder if he wanted a word with me."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading "One of them looks like the corporal, and I shouldn't wonder if he wanted a word with me."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 17 of A Prairie Courtship by Harold Bindloss holds 173 sentences, grouped into 35 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 17 of A Prairie Courtship contain?

Chapter 17 holds 173 sentences of A Prairie Courtship, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of A Prairie Courtship by Harold Bindloss exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 173 sentences, grouped into 35 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 17 of A Prairie Courtship?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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.

Can chapter 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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.

Questions about reading A Prairie Courtship

Common questions about reading A Prairie Courtship by Harold Bindloss on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Prairie Courtship?

Yes. All 5335 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38723 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Prairie Courtship is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #38723, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Prairie Courtship take to read?

About 444 minutes of reading across 1067 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Prairie Courtship section by section

How to work through A Prairie Courtship section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 29 chapters of A Prairie Courtship to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in A Prairie Courtship

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

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Prairie Courtship; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Masters
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Prairie Courtship; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wheat-lands
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Prairie Courtship; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Winston
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Prairie Courtship; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.