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Canoe Boys and Campfires
Canoe Boys and Campfires

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of Canoe Boys and Campfires is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.
"You're a bold lad," he said with a harsh laugh.
"There are not many would dare to speak to me in that way.
But it wasn't you who fired the gun that night.
I can tell by your actions that you're anxious to screen one of your companions."
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
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Canoe Boys and Campfires

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of Canoe Boys and Campfires is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.
Line 2
"You're a bold lad," he said with a harsh laugh.
Line 3
"There are not many would dare to speak to me in that way.
/ðer ɑːr nɑːt ˈmeni wʊd der tuː spiːk tuː miː ɪn ðæt weɪ/
Line 4
But it wasn't you who fired the gun that night.
Line 5
I can tell by your actions that you're anxious to screen one of your companions."

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.

actions noun US /ˈækʃənz/

plural of “action” — something done (usually as opposed to something said)

From this reading “I can tell by your actions that you're anxious to screen one of your companions."”

daring noun US /ˈderɪŋ/

a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy

From this reading “A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.”

deeper adverb US /ˈdiːpər/

comparative of “deeply” — to a great depth psychologically or emotionally

From this reading “A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.”

fired adjective US /ˈfaɪərd/

having lost your job

From this reading “But it wasn't you who fired the gun that night.”

harsh adjective US /hɑːrʃ/

unpleasantly stern

From this reading “"You're a bold lad," he said with a harsh laugh.”

purple noun US /ˈpɜːrpəl/

a purple color or pigment

From this reading “A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.”

screen noun US /skriːn/

a white or silvered surface where pictures can be projected for viewing

From this reading “I can tell by your actions that you're anxious to screen one of your companions."”

threatening adjective US /ˈθretənɪŋ/

threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

From this reading “A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.”

All words in this reading · 55

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 A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.

actionsnounUS /ˈækʃənz/

plural of “action” — something done (usually as opposed to something said)

From this reading I can tell by your actions that you're anxious to screen one of your companions."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.

anxiousadjectiveUS /ˈæŋkʃəs/

eagerly desirous

From this reading I can tell by your actions that you're anxious to screen one of your companions."

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading "There are not many would dare to speak to me in that way.

ATTEMPTnounUS /əˈtempt/

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.

boldadjectiveUS /boʊld/

fearless and daring

From this reading "You're a bold lad," he said with a harsh laugh.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But it wasn't you who fired the gun that night.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading I can tell by your actions that you're anxious to screen one of your companions."

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading I can tell by your actions that you're anxious to screen one of your companions."

companionsnounUS /kəmˈpænjənz/

plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading I can tell by your actions that you're anxious to screen one of your companions."

dareverbUS /der/

take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission

From this reading "There are not many would dare to speak to me in that way.

DARINGnounUS /ˈderɪŋ/

a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy

From this reading A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.

deeperadverbUS /ˈdiːpər/

comparative of “deeply” — to a great depth psychologically or emotionally

From this reading A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.

facenounUS /feɪs/

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

From this reading A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.

firedadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪərd/

having lost your job

From this reading But it wasn't you who fired the gun that night.

gunnounUS /ɡʌn/

a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

From this reading But it wasn't you who fired the gun that night.

harshadjectiveUS /hɑːrʃ/

unpleasantly stern

From this reading "You're a bold lad," he said with a harsh laugh.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I can tell by your actions that you're anxious to screen one of your companions."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "There are not many would dare to speak to me in that way.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But it wasn't you who fired the gun that night.

ladnounUS /læd/

a boy or man

From this reading "You're a bold lad," he said with a harsh laugh.

laughnounUS /læf/

the sound of laughing

From this reading "You're a bold lad," he said with a harsh laugh.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading "There are not many would dare to speak to me in that way.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "There are not many would dare to speak to me in that way.

Moxley's

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

From this reading A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.

Ned

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

From this reading A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

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

From this reading But it wasn't you who fired the gun that night.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "There are not many would dare to speak to me in that way.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading I can tell by your actions that you're anxious to screen one of your companions."

purplenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəl/

a purple color or pigment

From this reading A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "You're a bold lad," he said with a harsh laugh.

screennounUS /skriːn/

a white or silvered surface where pictures can be projected for viewing

From this reading I can tell by your actions that you're anxious to screen one of your companions."

shadenounUS /ʃeɪd/

relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body

From this reading A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.

speakverbUS /spiːk/

express in speech

From this reading "There are not many would dare to speak to me in that way.

stepnounUS /step/

any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading I can tell by your actions that you're anxious to screen one of your companions."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "There are not many would dare to speak to me in that way.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading But it wasn't you who fired the gun that night.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading "There are not many would dare to speak to me in that way.

threateningadjectiveUS /ˈθretənɪŋ/

threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

From this reading A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "There are not many would dare to speak to me in that way.

towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading A DARING ATTEMPT Moxley's face turned a deeper shade of purple, and he made a threatening step toward Ned.

wasn't

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

From this reading But it wasn't you who fired the gun that night.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading "There are not many would dare to speak to me in that way.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading But it wasn't you who fired the gun that night.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "You're a bold lad," he said with a harsh laugh.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading "There are not many would dare to speak to me in that way.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading But it wasn't you who fired the gun that night.

You're

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

From this reading "You're a bold lad," he said with a harsh laugh.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I can tell by your actions that you're anxious to screen one of your companions."

Chapter 23 of Canoe Boys and Campfires by William Murray Graydon holds 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 23 of Canoe Boys and Campfires contain?

Chapter 23 holds 132 sentences of Canoe Boys and Campfires, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of Canoe Boys and Campfires by William Murray Graydon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 23 of Canoe Boys and Campfires?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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 Canoe Boys and Campfires

Common questions about reading Canoe Boys and Campfires by William Murray Graydon on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Canoe Boys and Campfires?

Yes. All 3996 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21888 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Canoe Boys and Campfires is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #21888, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Canoe Boys and Campfires take to read?

About 333 minutes of reading across 800 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Canoe Boys and Campfires section by section

How to work through Canoe Boys and Campfires section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 36 chapters of Canoe Boys and Campfires 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 Canoe Boys and Campfires

Words and structures a reader meets early in Canoe Boys and Campfires, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Beginning
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Canoe Boys and Campfires; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wearisome
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Canoe Boys and Campfires; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Drawled
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Canoe Boys and Campfires; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Randy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Canoe Boys and Campfires; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.