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A Son of Courage
A Son of Courage

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of A Son of Courage is here in full — 241 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Archie P. McKishnie • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A Son of Courage
Context Illustration Reading 1/48 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.
"Holy Smoke!
Bill, take it away!" he yelled, as his chum's laugh fell on his ears.
"Gosh! you ain't got no nerve a'tall, Maurice!
It's only a milk-snake.
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 Son of Courage

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of A Son of Courage is here in full — 241 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/48 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.
Line 2
"Holy Smoke!
/ˈhoʊli smoʊk/
Line 3
Bill, take it away!" he yelled, as his chum's laugh fell on his ears.
Line 4
"Gosh! you ain't got no nerve a'tall, Maurice!
Line 5
It's only a milk-snake.

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.

clammy adjective US /ˈklæmi/

unpleasantly cool and humid

From this reading “THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
kindling noun US /ˈkɪndlɪŋ/

material for starting a fire

From this reading “THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
morning's noun US /ˈmɔːrnɪŋz/

possessive form of “morning” — the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading “THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ruse noun US /ruːz/

a deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture)

From this reading “THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smoky adjective US /ˈsmoʊki/

marked by or emitting or filled with smoke

From this reading “THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
splitting adjective US /ˈsplɪtɪŋ/

resembling a sound of violent tearing as of something ripped apart or lightning splitting a tree

From this reading “THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
twisting noun US /ˈtwɪstɪŋ/

the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean

From this reading “THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yelled adjective US /jeld/

in a vehement outcry

From this reading “Bill, take it away!" he yelled, as his chum's laugh fell on his ears.”

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.

fell on verb + particle

In this reading “Bill, take it away!" he yelled, as his chum's laugh fell on his ears.”

20,143 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 56

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 THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
a'tall

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

From this reading "Gosh! you ain't got no nerve a'tall, Maurice!

Pending verification
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ain't

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

From this reading "Gosh! you ain't got no nerve a'tall, Maurice!

Pending verification
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Bill, take it away!" he yelled, as his chum's laugh fell on his ears.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Bill, take it away!" he yelled, as his chum's laugh fell on his ears.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BillnounUS /bɪl/

a statute in draft before it becomes law

From this reading Bill, take it away!" he yelled, as his chum's laugh fell on his ears.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
chum's

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

From this reading Bill, take it away!" he yelled, as his chum's laugh fell on his ears.

Pending verification
clammyadjectiveUS /ˈklæmi/

unpleasantly cool and humid

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dimadjectiveUS /dɪm/

lacking in light; not bright or harsh

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
droppedverbUS /drɑːpt/

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

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
earsnounUS /ɪrz/

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading Bill, take it away!" he yelled, as his chum's laugh fell on his ears.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FAILEDverbUS /feɪld/

past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading Bill, take it away!" he yelled, as his chum's laugh fell on his ears.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Gosh

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

From this reading "Gosh! you ain't got no nerve a'tall, Maurice!

Pending verification
gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "Gosh! you ain't got no nerve a'tall, Maurice!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Bill, take it away!" he yelled, as his chum's laugh fell on his ears.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HolynounUS /ˈhoʊli/

a sacred place of pilgrimage

From this reading "Holy Smoke!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Bill, take it away!" he yelled, as his chum's laugh fell on his ears.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
It's

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

From this reading It's only a milk-snake.

Pending verification
Keeler

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

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

Pending verification
kindlingnounUS /ˈkɪndlɪŋ/

material for starting a fire

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lanternnounUS /ˈlæntərn/

light in a transparent protective case

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
laughnounUS /læf/

the sound of laughing

From this reading Bill, take it away!" he yelled, as his chum's laugh fell on his ears.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Maurice

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

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

Pending verification
milk-snake

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

From this reading It's only a milk-snake.

Pending verification
morning'snounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋz/

possessive form of “morning” — the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
necknounUS /nek/

the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nervenounUS /nɜːrv/

any bundle of nerve fibers running to various organs and tissues of the body

From this reading "Gosh! you ain't got no nerve a'tall, Maurice!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "Gosh! you ain't got no nerve a'tall, Maurice!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Bill, take it away!" he yelled, as his chum's laugh fell on his ears.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading It's only a milk-snake.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OutadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RUSEnounUS /ruːz/

a deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture)

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SmokenounUS /smoʊk/

a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

From this reading "Holy Smoke!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smokyadjectiveUS /ˈsmoʊki/

marked by or emitting or filled with smoke

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
splittingadjectiveUS /ˈsplɪtɪŋ/

resembling a sound of violent tearing as of something ripped apart or lightning splitting a tree

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading Bill, take it away!" he yelled, as his chum's laugh fell on his ears.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THATconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
twistingnounUS /ˈtwɪstɪŋ/

the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

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 THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wood-shed

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

From this reading THE RUSE THAT FAILED Out behind the wood-shed Maurice Keeler, by the dim light of a smoky lantern, was splitting kindling for the morning's fire when something clammy and twisting dropped across the back of his neck.

Pending verification
yelledadjectiveUS /jeld/

in a vehement outcry

From this reading Bill, take it away!" he yelled, as his chum's laugh fell on his ears.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Gosh! you ain't got no nerve a'tall, Maurice!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 6 of A Son of Courage by Archie P. McKishnie holds 241 sentences, grouped into 49 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 6 of A Son of Courage contain?

Chapter 6 holds 241 sentences of A Son of Courage, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of A Son of Courage by Archie P. McKishnie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 241 sentences, grouped into 49 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 6 of A Son of Courage?

Work through the 49 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 49 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Son of Courage

Common questions about reading A Son of Courage by Archie P. McKishnie on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Son of Courage?

Yes. All 5793 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #62278 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Son of Courage is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #62278, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Son of Courage take to read?

About 482 minutes of reading across 1159 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Son of Courage section by section

How to work through A Son of Courage section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of A Son of Courage 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 Son of Courage

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Son of Courage, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Son of Courage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Willow
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Son of Courage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Reilly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Son of Courage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chicago
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Son of Courage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.