Chapter 4 of Cowboy Dave is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Cowboy Dave is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
TREACHERY "Don't fall now, Crow! Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed. "Don't step in any holes and throw me. For if you do, it's all up with both of us!" Yet, knowing that danger as he did, Dave never for an instant faltered.
Chapter 4 of Cowboy Dave is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 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.
uttered without voice
From this reading “Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.”
dwell on with satisfaction
From this reading “TREACHERY "Don't fall now, Crow!”
past form of “falter” — be unsure or weak
From this reading “Yet, knowing that danger as he did, Dave never for an instant faltered.”
plural of “hole” — an opening into or through something
From this reading “"Don't step in any holes and throw me.”
departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
From this reading “Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.”
(literary) a spirited horse for state of war
From this reading “Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.”
walk unsteadily
From this reading “Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.”
Betrayal of trust; deceptive action or disloyalty against a host or ally.
From this reading “TREACHERY "Don't fall now, Crow!”
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.
(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 For if you do, it's all up with both of us!"
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Yet, knowing that danger as he did, Dave never for an instant faltered.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Don't step in any holes and throw me.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "Don't step in any holes and throw me.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Yet, knowing that danger as he did, Dave never for an instant faltered.
the two together, not just one
From this reading For if you do, it's all up with both of us!"
uttered without voice
From this reading Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.
of the blackest black; similar to the color of jet or coal
From this reading Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.
dwell on with satisfaction
From this reading TREACHERY "Don't fall now, Crow!
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading Yet, knowing that danger as he did, Dave never for an instant faltered.
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Yet, knowing that danger as he did, Dave never for an instant faltered.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading For if you do, it's all up with both of us!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TREACHERY "Don't fall now, Crow!
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading TREACHERY "Don't fall now, Crow!
past form of “falter” — be unsure or weak
From this reading Yet, knowing that danger as he did, Dave never for an instant faltered.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For if you do, it's all up with both of us!"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Yet, knowing that danger as he did, Dave never for an instant faltered.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.
plural of “hole” — an opening into or through something
From this reading "Don't step in any holes and throw me.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading For if you do, it's all up with both of us!"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Don't step in any holes and throw me.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading Yet, knowing that danger as he did, Dave never for an instant faltered.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For if you do, it's all up with both of us!"
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading Yet, knowing that danger as he did, Dave never for an instant faltered.
departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
From this reading Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Don't step in any holes and throw me.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Yet, knowing that danger as he did, Dave never for an instant faltered.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading TREACHERY "Don't fall now, Crow!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.
above and across; more than
From this reading Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.
express in speech
From this reading Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.
(literary) a spirited horse for state of war
From this reading Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading "Don't step in any holes and throw me.
walk unsteadily
From this reading Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Yet, knowing that danger as he did, Dave never for an instant faltered.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.
propel through the air
From this reading "Don't step in any holes and throw me.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.
Betrayal of trust; deceptive action or disloyalty against a host or ally.
From this reading TREACHERY "Don't fall now, Crow!
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading For if you do, it's all up with both of us!"
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading For if you do, it's all up with both of us!"
precisely as stated
From this reading Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.
in the company of; together with
From this reading For if you do, it's all up with both of us!"
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet, knowing that danger as he did, Dave never for an instant faltered.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed.
Chapter 4 of Cowboy Dave by Frank V. Webster holds 115 sentences, grouped into 23 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 115 sentences of Cowboy Dave, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Cowboy Dave by Frank V. Webster exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 115 sentences, grouped into 23 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 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 23 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 Cowboy Dave by Frank V. Webster on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3023 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6165 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6165, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 251 minutes of reading across 605 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Cowboy Dave section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of Cowboy Dave 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 Cowboy Dave, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
