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"Bring Me His Ears"
"Bring Me His Ears"

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of "Bring Me His Ears" is here in full — 230 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Clarence Edward Mulford • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for "Bring Me His Ears"
Context Illustration Reading 1/46 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.
They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.
His face beamed in the firelight and he leaned eagerly forward.
"You have decide?" he asked.
"Yes," answered Tom.
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.

"Bring Me His Ears"

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of "Bring Me His Ears" is here in full — 230 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/46 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.
Line 2
They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.
Line 3
His face beamed in the firelight and he leaned eagerly forward.
Line 4
"You have decide?" he asked.
/juː hæv ˌdɪˈsaɪd hiː æskt/
Line 5
"Yes," answered Tom.
/jes ˈænsərd tɑːm/

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.

beamed verb US /biːmd/

past form of “beam” — smile radiantly; express joy through one's facial expression

From this reading “His face beamed in the firelight and he leaned eagerly forward.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
compliments noun US /ˈkɑːmpləments/

(usually plural) a polite expression of desire for someone's welfare

From this reading “THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
defeat noun US /dɪˈfiːt/

an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest

From this reading “THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desperation noun US /ˌdespərˈeɪʃən/

a state in which all hope is lost or absent

From this reading “They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
effusive adjective US /ˈefjuːsɪv/

uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm

From this reading “THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
flattery noun US /ˈflætəri/

excessive or insincere praise

From this reading “They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Hank noun US /hæŋk/

a coil of rope or wool or yarn

From this reading “THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Taos noun US /taʊz/

a member of the Pueblo people living in northern New Mexico

From this reading “They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.”

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.

After supper preposition + noun

In this reading “THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.”

6,072 times in 225,867 chapters
leaned eagerly verb + particle counted as “lean eagerly”

In this reading “His face beamed in the firelight and he leaned eagerly forward.”

165 times in 225,867 chapters
face beamed noun + noun counted as “face beam”

In this reading “His face beamed in the firelight and he leaned eagerly forward.”

766 times in 225,867 chapters
in the firelight preposition + article + noun counted as “in … firelight”

In this reading “His face beamed in the firelight and he leaned eagerly forward.”

1,090 times in 225,867 chapters
in desperation preposition + noun

In this reading “They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.”

1,633 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 54

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading "Yes," answered Tom.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Arapahoes

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

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

Pending verification
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
askedverbUS /æskt/

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

From this reading "You have decide?" he asked.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beamedverbUS /biːmd/

past form of “beam” — smile radiantly; express joy through one's facial expression

From this reading His face beamed in the firelight and he leaned eagerly forward.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
complimentsnounUS /ˈkɑːmpləments/

(usually plural) a polite expression of desire for someone's welfare

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
decideverbUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪd/

reach, make, or come to a decision about something

From this reading "You have decide?" he asked.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
defeatnounUS /dɪˈfiːt/

an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desperationnounUS /ˌdespərˈeɪʃən/

a state in which all hope is lost or absent

From this reading They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eagerlyadverbUS /ˈiːɡərli/

with eagerness; in an eager manner

From this reading His face beamed in the firelight and he leaned eagerly forward.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
effusiveadjectiveUS /ˈefjuːsɪv/

uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading His face beamed in the firelight and he leaned eagerly forward.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
finallyadverbUS /ˈfaɪnəli/

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firelightnoun

the light of a fire (especially in a fireplace)

From this reading His face beamed in the firelight and he leaned eagerly forward.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
flatterynounUS /ˈflætəri/

excessive or insincere praise

From this reading They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/

at or to or toward the front

From this reading His face beamed in the firelight and he leaned eagerly forward.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HanknounUS /hæŋk/

a coil of rope or wool or yarn

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "You have decide?" he asked.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading His face beamed in the firelight and he leaned eagerly forward.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
joinedadjectiveUS /dʒɔɪnd/

of or relating to two people who are married to each other

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
leanedverbUS /liːnd/

past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position

From this reading His face beamed in the firelight and he leaned eagerly forward.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
paidadjectiveUS /peɪd/

marked by the reception of pay

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PASSINGnounUS /ˈpæsɪŋ/

(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PEDRO

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

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

Pending verification
satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
secretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.

Velmora curated lexicon
soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spokenounUS /spoʊk/

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

From this reading They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
squirmed

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

From this reading They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.

Pending verification
suppernounUS /ˈsʌpər/

a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TaosnounUS /taʊz/

a member of the Pueblo people living in northern New Mexico

From this reading They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

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 PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TomnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
trailnounUS /treɪl/

a track or mark left by something that has passed

From this reading They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading They squirmed under his heavy flattery and finally, in desperation, spoke of the secret trail to Taos.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading THE PASSING OF PEDRO After supper that night Hank and Tom sat around their fire and soon were joined by Pedro, who paid them effusive compliments about their defeat of the Arapahoes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading "Yes," answered Tom.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You have decide?" he asked.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 16 of "Bring Me His Ears" by Clarence Edward Mulford holds 230 sentences, grouped into 46 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 16 of "Bring Me His Ears" contain?

Chapter 16 holds 230 sentences of "Bring Me His Ears", unabridged, divided into 46 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of "Bring Me His Ears" by Clarence Edward Mulford exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 230 sentences, grouped into 46 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 16 of "Bring Me His Ears"?

Work through the 46 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 46 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 "Bring Me His Ears"

Common questions about reading "Bring Me His Ears" by Clarence Edward Mulford on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of "Bring Me His Ears"?

Yes. All 4891 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31699 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of "Bring Me His Ears" is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #31699, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does "Bring Me His Ears" take to read?

About 407 minutes of reading across 979 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read "Bring Me His Ears" section by section

How to work through "Bring Me His Ears" 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 "Bring Me His Ears"

Words and structures a reader meets early in "Bring Me His Ears", each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Lanky
A word that appears in the opening chapter of "Bring Me His Ears"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Missourian
A word that appears in the opening chapter of "Bring Me His Ears"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Leaning
A word that appears in the opening chapter of "Bring Me His Ears"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Against
A word that appears in the opening chapter of "Bring Me His Ears"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.