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Blake's Burden
Blake's Burden

Chapter XXVII

Cover illustration for Blake's Burden
Context Illustration Reading 1/50 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.
The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.
The Sergeant's brows were knitted, for the calculations he had made were not reassuring.
"The time we lost turning back to the Stony village has made a big hole in our grub," he said.
"Guess we'll have to cut the menoo down and do a few more miles a day."
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Blake's Burden

Chapter XXVII

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.
Line 2
The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.
Line 3
The Sergeant's brows were knitted, for the calculations he had made were not reassuring.
Line 4
"The time we lost turning back to the Stony village has made a big hole in our grub," he said.
Line 5
"Guess we'll have to cut the menoo down and do a few more miles a day."

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.”

Began noun US /began/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.”

Bluff adjective US /blʌf/

direct and plain-spoken in manner, sometimes seeming rough

From this reading “A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.”

Camp noun US /camp/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.”

DUTY noun US /ˈduːti/

a responsibility that must be carried out

From this reading “A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.”

Hand noun US /hand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.”

Has auxiliary verb US /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading “"The time we lost turning back to the Stony village has made a big hole in our grub," he said.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “"Guess we'll have to cut the menoo down and do a few more miles a day."”

Let auxiliary verb US /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading “The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.”

Party noun US /party/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"The time we lost turning back to the Stony village has made a big hole in our grub," he said.”

While conjunction US /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading “A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.”

Wind noun US /wind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.”

All words in this reading · 80

Every word is available to listen to. 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 MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

back

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

From this reading "The time we lost turning back to the Stony village has made a big hole in our grub," he said.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

begannounUS /began/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

big

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

From this reading "The time we lost turning back to the Stony village has made a big hole in our grub," he said.

bluffadjectiveUS /blʌf/

direct and plain-spoken in manner, sometimes seeming rough

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

brows

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

From this reading The Sergeant's brows were knitted, for the calculations he had made were not reassuring.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

calculations

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

From this reading The Sergeant's brows were knitted, for the calculations he had made were not reassuring.

camp

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

carefully

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

cold

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

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

cut

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

From this reading "Guess we'll have to cut the menoo down and do a few more miles a day."

day

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

From this reading "Guess we'll have to cut the menoo down and do a few more miles a day."

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "Guess we'll have to cut the menoo down and do a few more miles a day."

down

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

From this reading "Guess we'll have to cut the menoo down and do a few more miles a day."

DUTYnounUS /ˈduːti/

a responsibility that must be carried out

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

edge

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

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

Emile

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

estimating

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

few

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

From this reading "Guess we'll have to cut the menoo down and do a few more miles a day."

fire

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

grow

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

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

grub

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

From this reading "The time we lost turning back to the Stony village has made a big hole in our grub," he said.

Guess

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

From this reading "Guess we'll have to cut the menoo down and do a few more miles a day."

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

hand

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "The time we lost turning back to the Stony village has made a big hole in our grub," he said.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "Guess we'll have to cut the menoo down and do a few more miles a day."

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The Sergeant's brows were knitted, for the calculations he had made were not reassuring.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

hole

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

From this reading "The time we lost turning back to the Stony village has made a big hole in our grub," he said.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

knitted

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

From this reading The Sergeant's brows were knitted, for the calculations he had made were not reassuring.

Lane

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

lost

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

From this reading "The time we lost turning back to the Stony village has made a big hole in our grub," he said.

made

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

From this reading The Sergeant's brows were knitted, for the calculations he had made were not reassuring.

MATTER

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

menoo

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

From this reading "Guess we'll have to cut the menoo down and do a few more miles a day."

miles

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

From this reading "Guess we'll have to cut the menoo down and do a few more miles a day."

more

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

From this reading "Guess we'll have to cut the menoo down and do a few more miles a day."

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The Sergeant's brows were knitted, for the calculations he had made were not reassuring.

notebook

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

now

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

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading "The time we lost turning back to the Stony village has made a big hole in our grub," he said.

partynounUS /party/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

plain

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

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

poplars

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

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

provisions

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

quantity

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

reached

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

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

reassuring

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

From this reading The Sergeant's brows were knitted, for the calculations he had made were not reassuring.

repacked

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

said

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

From this reading "The time we lost turning back to the Stony village has made a big hole in our grub," he said.

sat

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

scattered

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

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

Sergeant

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

Sergeant's

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

From this reading The Sergeant's brows were knitted, for the calculations he had made were not reassuring.

small

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

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

Stony

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

From this reading "The time we lost turning back to the Stony village has made a big hole in our grub," he said.

straggling

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "The time we lost turning back to the Stony village has made a big hole in our grub," he said.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

trees

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

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

turning

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

From this reading "The time we lost turning back to the Stony village has made a big hole in our grub," he said.

village

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

From this reading "The time we lost turning back to the Stony village has made a big hole in our grub," he said.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "The time we lost turning back to the Stony village has made a big hole in our grub," he said.

we'll

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

From this reading "Guess we'll have to cut the menoo down and do a few more miles a day."

weight

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading A MATTER OF DUTY Sergeant Lane sat by the camp fire in a straggling bluff, a notebook in his hand, while Emile repacked a quantity of provisions, the weight of which they had been carefully estimating.

windnounUS /wind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The scattered trees were small and let the cold wind in, for the party had now reached the edge of the plain where the poplars began to grow.