Chapter IV of Comrades on River and Lake, “The Fight on the Catboat,” is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter IV
Chapter IV of Comrades on River and Lake, “The Fight on the Catboat,” is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Looks like he’s afraid of something,” said Pod. “Sure; this is the haunted sloop you’ve read about,” Fleet responded. “If you can make a sloop out of a catboat, you’re a dandy, Fleet Kenby,” said Pod. “Don’t you know that a sloop has a bowsprit and a jib?” Fleet was silent.
Chapter IV of Comrades on River and Lake, “The Fight on the Catboat,” is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance
From this reading ““If you can make a sloop out of a catboat, you’re a dandy, Fleet Kenby,” said Pod.”
group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership
From this reading ““Sure; this is the haunted sloop you’ve read about,” Fleet responded.”
having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something
From this reading ““Sure; this is the haunted sloop you’ve read about,” Fleet responded.”
refuse to comply
From this reading ““Don’t you know that a sloop has a bowsprit and a jib?””
plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading ““Looks like he’s afraid of something,” said Pod.”
the vessel that contains the seeds of a plant (not the seeds themselves)
From this reading ““Looks like he’s afraid of something,” said Pod.”
past form of “respond” — show a response or a reaction to something
From this reading ““Sure; this is the haunted sloop you’ve read about,” Fleet responded.”
a sailing vessel with a single mast set about one third of the boat's length aft of the bow
From this reading ““Sure; this is the haunted sloop you’ve read about,” Fleet responded.”
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.
In this reading ““Sure; this is the haunted sloop you’ve read about,” Fleet responded.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “If you can make a sloop out of a catboat, you’re a dandy, Fleet Kenby,” said Pod.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “Sure; this is the haunted sloop you’ve read about,” Fleet responded.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading “Looks like he’s afraid of something,” said Pod.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Don’t you know that a sloop has a bowsprit and a jib?”
a spar projecting from the bow of a vessel
From this reading “Don’t you know that a sloop has a bowsprit and a jib?”
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “If you can make a sloop out of a catboat, you’re a dandy, Fleet Kenby,” said Pod.
a sailboat with a single mast set far forward
From this reading “If you can make a sloop out of a catboat, you’re a dandy, Fleet Kenby,” said Pod.
a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance
From this reading “If you can make a sloop out of a catboat, you’re a dandy, Fleet Kenby,” said Pod.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Don’t you know that a sloop has a bowsprit and a jib?”
group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership
From this reading “Sure; this is the haunted sloop you’ve read about,” Fleet responded.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Don’t you know that a sloop has a bowsprit and a jib?”
having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something
From this reading “Sure; this is the haunted sloop you’ve read about,” Fleet responded.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Looks like he’s afraid of something,” said Pod.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “If you can make a sloop out of a catboat, you’re a dandy, Fleet Kenby,” said Pod.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Sure; this is the haunted sloop you’ve read about,” Fleet responded.
refuse to comply
From this reading “Don’t you know that a sloop has a bowsprit and a jib?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If you can make a sloop out of a catboat, you’re a dandy, Fleet Kenby,” said Pod.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “Don’t you know that a sloop has a bowsprit and a jib?”
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “Looks like he’s afraid of something,” said Pod.
plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading “Looks like he’s afraid of something,” said Pod.
engage in
From this reading “If you can make a sloop out of a catboat, you’re a dandy, Fleet Kenby,” said Pod.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Looks like he’s afraid of something,” said Pod.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “If you can make a sloop out of a catboat, you’re a dandy, Fleet Kenby,” said Pod.
the vessel that contains the seeds of a plant (not the seeds themselves)
From this reading “Looks like he’s afraid of something,” said Pod.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading “Sure; this is the haunted sloop you’ve read about,” Fleet responded.
past form of “respond” — show a response or a reaction to something
From this reading “Sure; this is the haunted sloop you’ve read about,” Fleet responded.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Looks like he’s afraid of something,” said Pod.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading Fleet was silent.
a sailing vessel with a single mast set about one third of the boat's length aft of the bow
From this reading “Sure; this is the haunted sloop you’ve read about,” Fleet responded.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading “Looks like he’s afraid of something,” said Pod.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading “Sure; this is the haunted sloop you’ve read about,” Fleet responded.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Don’t you know that a sloop has a bowsprit and a jib?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Sure; this is the haunted sloop you’ve read about,” Fleet responded.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Sure; this is the haunted sloop you’ve read about,” Fleet responded.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Fleet was silent.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “If you can make a sloop out of a catboat, you’re a dandy, Fleet Kenby,” said Pod.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If you can make a sloop out of a catboat, you’re a dandy, Fleet Kenby,” said Pod.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Sure; this is the haunted sloop you’ve read about,” Fleet responded.
Chapter 4 of Comrades on River and Lake by Ralph Victor holds 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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.
Chapter 4 holds 141 sentences of Comrades on River and Lake, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Comrades on River and Lake by Ralph Victor exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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.
Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 29 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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.
Common questions about reading Comrades on River and Lake by Ralph Victor on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3105 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40585 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #40585, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 258 minutes of reading across 621 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Comrades on River and Lake section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Comrades on River and Lake to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Comrades on River and Lake, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
