Chapter 20 of Cowboy Dave is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Cowboy Dave is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave. "I don't know," was the doubtful answer. "What do you say, Pete?" "What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead. "The fire he started," replied Dave.
Chapter 20 of Cowboy Dave is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
at or in the front
From this reading “"What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead.”
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading “"What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead.”
open to doubt or suspicion
From this reading “"I don't know," was the doubtful answer.”
the act of escaping physically
From this reading “THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave.”
a person who exercises control over workers
From this reading “"What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead.”
past form of “gallop” — ride at a galloping pace
From this reading “THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave.”
the act of departing
From this reading “"What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead.”
the sport of engaging in contests of speed
From this reading “"What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave.
at or in the front
From this reading "What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead.
react verbally
From this reading "I don't know," was the doubtful answer.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave.
next to; at the side of
From this reading THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave.
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading "What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "What do you say, Pete?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't know," was the doubtful answer.
open to doubt or suspicion
From this reading "I don't know," was the doubtful answer.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave.
opinion or judgment
From this reading "What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading "What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead.
start firing a weapon
From this reading THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave.
a person who exercises control over workers
From this reading "What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead.
past form of “gallop” — ride at a galloping pace
From this reading THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I don't know," was the doubtful answer.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "I don't know," was the doubtful answer.
the act of departing
From this reading "What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead.
a form of address for a man
From this reading THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What do you say, Pete?"
the sport of engaging in contests of speed
From this reading "What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "The fire he started," replied Dave.
express in words
From this reading "What do you say, Pete?"
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "The fire he started," replied Dave.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I don't know," was the doubtful answer.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading THE ESCAPE "What about that fire?" asked Mr. Bellmore, as he galloped on beside Dave.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What's that?" called back the foreman, his eyes never leaving the dim figure that was racing on ahead.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "What do you say, Pete?"
Chapter 20 of Cowboy Dave by Frank V. Webster holds 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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 20 holds 152 sentences of Cowboy Dave, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Cowboy Dave by Frank V. Webster exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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 20 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, unabridged. 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.
