Chapter XXVI

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

Having no one else present.

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

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

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

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

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

possessive form of “bill” — a statute in draft before it becomes law

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

the property resulting from being or relating to the greater in number of two parts; the main part

From this reading And soon a great bulk hove in sight, growing mysteriously out of the night like a huge shadowy leviathan climbing up out of the sea.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

a state in the western United States on the Pacific; the 3rd largest state; known for earthquakes

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading There came a hail.

move or strike with a noise

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

past form of “click” — move or strike with a noise

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

an event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.)

From this reading And soon a great bulk hove in sight, growing mysteriously out of the night like a huge shadowy leviathan climbing up out of the sea.

a hardy cabbage with coarse curly leaves that do not form a head

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

carefully weighed

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

make a high-pitched, screeching noise

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

make a crushing noise

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

capable of being perceived as different or distinct

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading And soon a great bulk hove in sight, growing mysteriously out of the night like a huge shadowy leviathan climbing up out of the sea.

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading And soon a great bulk hove in sight, growing mysteriously out of the night like a huge shadowy leviathan climbing up out of the sea.

show one's unhappiness or critical attitude

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

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

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

praise vociferously

From this reading There came a hail.

major items of military weaponry (as tanks or missile)

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

put a harness

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

to a considerable degree

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

plural of “hoof” — the foot of an ungulate mammal

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

inflected form of “heave” — utter a sound, as with obvious effort

From this reading And soon a great bulk hove in sight, growing mysteriously out of the night like a huge shadowy leviathan climbing up out of the sea.

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading And soon a great bulk hove in sight, growing mysteriously out of the night like a huge shadowy leviathan climbing up out of the sea.

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

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

make a sound typical of metallic objects

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

(Old Testament) Moses' successor who led the Israelites into the Promised Land; best remembered for his destruction of Jericho

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

filled with a great quantity

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

the largest or most massive thing of its kind

From this reading And soon a great bulk hove in sight, growing mysteriously out of the night like a huge shadowy leviathan climbing up out of the sea.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading And soon a great bulk hove in sight, growing mysteriously out of the night like a huge shadowy leviathan climbing up out of the sea.

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

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

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

weight to be borne or conveyed

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

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

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

a person of subnormal intelligence

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

plural of “mule” — hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse; usually sterile

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

in a cryptic manner

From this reading And soon a great bulk hove in sight, growing mysteriously out of the night like a huge shadowy leviathan climbing up out of the sea.

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

From this reading And soon a great bulk hove in sight, growing mysteriously out of the night like a huge shadowy leviathan climbing up out of the sea.

not any; not one

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading And soon a great bulk hove in sight, growing mysteriously out of the night like a huge shadowy leviathan climbing up out of the sea.

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

the time that has elapsed

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

make a low noise

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

of hair color; pale yellowish to yellowish brown

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading And soon a great bulk hove in sight, growing mysteriously out of the night like a huge shadowy leviathan climbing up out of the sea.

filled with shade

From this reading And soon a great bulk hove in sight, growing mysteriously out of the night like a huge shadowy leviathan climbing up out of the sea.

small crude shelter used as a dwelling

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

continuously varying

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

an instance of visual perception

From this reading And soon a great bulk hove in sight, growing mysteriously out of the night like a huge shadowy leviathan climbing up out of the sea.

from a time in the past until now

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

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

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

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

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

in the near future

From this reading And soon a great bulk hove in sight, growing mysteriously out of the night like a huge shadowy leviathan climbing up out of the sea.

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

a small refracting telescope

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

not in physical motion

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

occupy a large, elongated area

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

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

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

in or at that place or location

From this reading There came a hail.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

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

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

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

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

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

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

up to a particular time

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

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

From this reading And soon a great bulk hove in sight, growing mysteriously out of the night like a huge shadowy leviathan climbing up out of the sea.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

any of various kinds of wheeled vehicles drawn by an animal or a tractor

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

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

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

plural of “wheel” — a simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines)

From this reading Madge and Joshua stood still and listened, and now all of the sounds that are a part of a heavily laden mountain wagon on the move were distinguishable--the click of hoofs, the grumble of the shifting load, the crunch of the six-inch-tired wheels, the creak of leather, the jingle of harness hardware.

(politics) a state of disfavor

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.

in the company of; together with

From this reading But the past few minutes had been tense ones with these two, and they had heard no sound until the little hoofs of Bill’s mules left a sandy stretch in the road and clicked upon the rocks.

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

From this reading THE MORON HAD they not considered themselves so entirely alone in a vast wilderness, the ears of Shanty Madge and Cole of Spyglass Mountain long since would have been acute to the low rumble of California Bill’s heavy six-mule wagon.