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Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns
Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns
Context Illustration Reading 1/20 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?
If you leave it to him, the two boys we're in search of are somewhere on the Pacific slope!"
"He must think we're a lot of suckers to take in any story he'll tell!" whispered Tommy.
"A person that couldn't get next to his game ought to be locked up in the foolish house!"
"I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?
Line 2
If you leave it to him, the two boys we're in search of are somewhere on the Pacific slope!"
Line 3
"He must think we're a lot of suckers to take in any story he'll tell!" whispered Tommy.
Line 4
"A person that couldn't get next to his game ought to be locked up in the foolish house!"
Line 5
"I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

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.

brakeman noun US /ˈbreɪkmən/

a railroad employee responsible for a train's brakes

From this reading “"I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.”

lads noun US /lædz/

plural of “lad” — a boy or man

From this reading “"I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.”

Ohio noun US /oʊˈhaɪoʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading “"I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.”

Pacific noun US /pəˈsɪfɪk/

the largest ocean in the world

From this reading “If you leave it to him, the two boys we're in search of are somewhere on the Pacific slope!"”

product noun US /ˈprɑːdəkt/

commodities offered for sale

From this reading “THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?”

railway noun US /ˈreɪlweɪ/

line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight

From this reading “"I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.”

suckers noun US /ˈsʌkərz/

plural of “sucker” — a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of

From this reading “"He must think we're a lot of suckers to take in any story he'll tell!" whispered Tommy.”

Ventner noun US /ˈventnər/

United States geneticist who published the complete base sequences for all the genes of a free-living organism, the influenza bacterium; later led team that developed a first draft of the entire human genome (born in 1946)

From this reading “"I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.”

All words in this reading · 76

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 BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

airnounUS /er/

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

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading "He must think we're a lot of suckers to take in any story he'll tell!" whispered Tommy.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading If you leave it to him, the two boys we're in search of are somewhere on the Pacific slope!"

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "A person that couldn't get next to his game ought to be locked up in the foolish house!"

boxnounUS /bɑːks/

a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

BOYnounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading If you leave it to him, the two boys we're in search of are somewhere on the Pacific slope!"

brakemannounUS /ˈbreɪkmən/

a railroad employee responsible for a train's brakes

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

carnounUS /kɑːr/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

couldn't

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

From this reading "A person that couldn't get next to his game ought to be locked up in the foolish house!"

Didn't

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

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

EMPTYverbUS /ˈempti/

make void or empty of contents

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

foolishadjectiveUS /ˈfuːlɪʃ/

devoid of good sense or judgment

From this reading "A person that couldn't get next to his game ought to be locked up in the foolish house!"

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

gamenounUS /ɡeɪm/

a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading "A person that couldn't get next to his game ought to be locked up in the foolish house!"

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "A person that couldn't get next to his game ought to be locked up in the foolish house!"

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

he'll

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

From this reading "He must think we're a lot of suckers to take in any story he'll tell!" whispered Tommy.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading If you leave it to him, the two boys we're in search of are somewhere on the Pacific slope!"

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading "A person that couldn't get next to his game ought to be locked up in the foolish house!"

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

I've

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

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If you leave it to him, the two boys we're in search of are somewhere on the Pacific slope!"

imaginationnounUS /ˌɪmædʒəˈneɪʃən/

the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

importancenounUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtəns/

the quality of being important and worthy of note

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading If you leave it to him, the two boys we're in search of are somewhere on the Pacific slope!"

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

ladsnounUS /lædz/

plural of “lad” — a boy or man

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading If you leave it to him, the two boys we're in search of are somewhere on the Pacific slope!"

leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

lockedverbUS /lɑːkt/

past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock

From this reading "A person that couldn't get next to his game ought to be locked up in the foolish house!"

lotnounUS /lɑːt/

(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent

From this reading "He must think we're a lot of suckers to take in any story he'll tell!" whispered Tommy.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading "He must think we're a lot of suckers to take in any story he'll tell!" whispered Tommy.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading "A person that couldn't get next to his game ought to be locked up in the foolish house!"

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

OhionounUS /oʊˈhaɪoʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading If you leave it to him, the two boys we're in search of are somewhere on the Pacific slope!"

oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading "A person that couldn't get next to his game ought to be locked up in the foolish house!"

PacificnounUS /pəˈsɪfɪk/

the largest ocean in the world

From this reading If you leave it to him, the two boys we're in search of are somewhere on the Pacific slope!"

personnounUS /ˈpɜːrsən/

a human being

From this reading "A person that couldn't get next to his game ought to be locked up in the foolish house!"

productnounUS /ˈprɑːdəkt/

commodities offered for sale

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

railwaynounUS /ˈreɪlweɪ/

line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

rushingnounUS /ˈrʌʃɪŋ/

(American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running into the line

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

searchverbUS /sɜːrtʃ/

try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading If you leave it to him, the two boys we're in search of are somewhere on the Pacific slope!"

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

slopenounUS /sloʊp/

an elevated geological formation

From this reading If you leave it to him, the two boys we're in search of are somewhere on the Pacific slope!"

somewhereadverbUS /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

From this reading If you leave it to him, the two boys we're in search of are somewhere on the Pacific slope!"

stationnounUS /ˈsteɪʃən/

a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading "He must think we're a lot of suckers to take in any story he'll tell!" whispered Tommy.

suckersnounUS /ˈsʌkərz/

plural of “sucker” — a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of

From this reading "He must think we're a lot of suckers to take in any story he'll tell!" whispered Tommy.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading "He must think we're a lot of suckers to take in any story he'll tell!" whispered Tommy.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading "He must think we're a lot of suckers to take in any story he'll tell!" whispered Tommy.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading If you leave it to him, the two boys we're in search of are somewhere on the Pacific slope!"

Tommy

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

From this reading "He must think we're a lot of suckers to take in any story he'll tell!" whispered Tommy.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading If you leave it to him, the two boys we're in search of are somewhere on the Pacific slope!"

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading "A person that couldn't get next to his game ought to be locked up in the foolish house!"

VentnernounUS /ˈventnər/

United States geneticist who published the complete base sequences for all the genes of a free-living organism, the influenza bacterium; later led team that developed a first draft of the entire human genome (born in 1946)

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

we're

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

From this reading If you leave it to him, the two boys we're in search of are somewhere on the Pacific slope!"

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading "I've just heard from a railway brakeman," Ventner said, rushing up to the boys with an air of importance, "that the two lads you are in search of were seen leaving a box car at a little station in Ohio.

whisperedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪspərd/

spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

Willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading THE BOY IN THE "EMPTY" "Didn't I tell you," whispered Will, "that he is there with a product of his imagination?

Chapter 9 of Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns by Archibald Lee Fletcher holds 101 sentences, grouped into 21 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 9 of Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns contain?

Chapter 9 holds 101 sentences of Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns by Archibald Lee Fletcher exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 101 sentences, grouped into 21 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 9 of Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns

Common questions about reading Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns by Archibald Lee Fletcher on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns?

Yes. All 2494 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6338 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #6338, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns take to read?

About 207 minutes of reading across 499 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns section by section

How to work through Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns

Words and structures a reader meets early in Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Somewhere
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Midnight
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sought
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
George
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.