Chapter 13 of Across Texas is here in full — 71 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIII
Chapter 13 of Across Texas is here in full — 71 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN UNEXPECTED SIGNAL. THE mystery to the lads was deeper than ever. Matters were inexplainable before, and now they were still more involved. “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.” “Nothing would suit me better, and yet it would be hardly right, after our promise to Strubell and Lattin.
Chapter 13 of Across Texas is here in full — 71 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/14 · 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.
comparative of “deeply” — to a great depth psychologically or emotionally
From this reading “THE mystery to the lads was deeper than ever.”
United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)
From this reading ““It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.””
connected by participation or association or use
From this reading “Matters were inexplainable before, and now they were still more involved.”
plural of “lad” — a boy or man
From this reading “THE mystery to the lads was deeper than ever.”
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading “THE mystery to the lads was deeper than ever.”
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading “AN UNEXPECTED SIGNAL.”
plural of “strike” — a group's refusal to work in protest against low pay or bad work conditions
From this reading ““It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.””
not expected or anticipated
From this reading “AN UNEXPECTED SIGNAL.”
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.
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.
later than; following
From this reading “Nothing would suit me better, and yet it would be hardly right, after our promise to Strubell and Lattin.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED SIGNAL.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Matters were inexplainable before, and now they were still more involved.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Nothing would suit me better, and yet it would be hardly right, after our promise to Strubell and Lattin.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Matters were inexplainable before, and now they were still more involved.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.”
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “Nothing would suit me better, and yet it would be hardly right, after our promise to Strubell and Lattin.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.”
comparative of “deeply” — to a great depth psychologically or emotionally
From this reading THE mystery to the lads was deeper than ever.
at any time
From this reading THE mystery to the lads was deeper than ever.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.”
only a very short time before
From this reading “Nothing would suit me better, and yet it would be hardly right, after our promise to Strubell and Lattin.
United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)
From this reading “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Matters were inexplainable before, and now they were still more involved.
connected by participation or association or use
From this reading Matters were inexplainable before, and now they were still more involved.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.”
plural of “lad” — a boy or man
From this reading THE mystery to the lads was deeper than ever.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Nothing would suit me better, and yet it would be hardly right, after our promise to Strubell and Lattin.
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
From this reading Matters were inexplainable before, and now they were still more involved.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.”
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Matters were inexplainable before, and now they were still more involved.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading THE mystery to the lads was deeper than ever.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading “Nothing would suit me better, and yet it would be hardly right, after our promise to Strubell and Lattin.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Matters were inexplainable before, and now they were still more involved.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “Nothing would suit me better, and yet it would be hardly right, after our promise to Strubell and Lattin.
make a promise or commitment
From this reading “Nothing would suit me better, and yet it would be hardly right, after our promise to Strubell and Lattin.
precisely, exactly
From this reading “Nothing would suit me better, and yet it would be hardly right, after our promise to Strubell and Lattin.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.”
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED SIGNAL.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.”
not in physical motion
From this reading Matters were inexplainable before, and now they were still more involved.
plural of “strike” — a group's refusal to work in protest against low pay or bad work conditions
From this reading “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Nothing would suit me better, and yet it would be hardly right, after our promise to Strubell and Lattin.
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading “Nothing would suit me better, and yet it would be hardly right, after our promise to Strubell and Lattin.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading THE mystery to the lads was deeper than ever.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE mystery to the lads was deeper than ever.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Matters were inexplainable before, and now they were still more involved.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE mystery to the lads was deeper than ever.
not expected or anticipated
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED SIGNAL.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE mystery to the lads was deeper than ever.
look attentively
From this reading “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.”
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.”
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Matters were inexplainable before, and now they were still more involved.
in or at the place that
From this reading “It strikes me,” said Herbert, “that the best course for us is to stay where we are and watch things.”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “Nothing would suit me better, and yet it would be hardly right, after our promise to Strubell and Lattin.
but in spite of that
From this reading “Nothing would suit me better, and yet it would be hardly right, after our promise to Strubell and Lattin.
Chapter 13 of Across Texas by Edward Sylvester Ellis holds 71 sentences, grouped into 15 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 13 holds 71 sentences of Across Texas, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 13 of Across Texas by Edward Sylvester Ellis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 71 sentences, grouped into 15 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 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 15 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 13 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 Across Texas by Edward Sylvester Ellis on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2656 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48970 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #48970, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 221 minutes of reading across 532 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Across Texas section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 38 chapters of Across Texas 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 Across Texas, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
