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Crooked Trails and Straight
Crooked Trails and Straight

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of Crooked Trails and Straight is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Crooked Trails and Straight
Context Illustration Reading 1/87 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.
" ... then you'll take the 9:57, Sam...."
After more whispering, "Yep, soon as you hear the first shot ... cover the passengers...."
The listener lost what followed.
Once he thought he heard the name Tin Cup, but he could not be sure.
0:00 / 0:00
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Crooked Trails and Straight

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of Crooked Trails and Straight is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/87 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.
/ˈiːvzdrɑːpɪŋ aʊt ʌv ðə ˈmɜːrmər ʌv ˈvɔɪsəz keɪm wʌn ðæt ˈkɜːrli ˈrekəɡnaɪzd æz ðæt ʌv ˈsoʊpi stoʊn ˈeɪliəs juː noʊ huː/
Line 2
" ... then you'll take the 9:57, Sam...."
Line 3
After more whispering, "Yep, soon as you hear the first shot ... cover the passengers...."
Line 4
The listener lost what followed.
/ðə ˈlɪsənər lɔːst wʌt ˈfɑːloʊd/
Line 5
Once he thought he heard the name Tin Cup, but he could not be sure.
/wʌns hiː θɔːt hiː hɜːrd ðə neɪm tɪn kʌp bʌt hiː kʊd nɑːt biː ʃʊr/

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.

alias noun US /ˈeɪliəs/

a name that has been assumed temporarily

From this reading “EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.”

Curly adjective US /ˈkɜːrli/

(of hair) having curls or waves

From this reading “EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.”

eavesdropping verb US /ˈiːvzdrɑːpɪŋ/

inflected form of “eavesdrop” — listen without the speaker's knowledge

From this reading “EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.”

listener noun US /ˈlɪsənər/

someone who listens attentively

From this reading “The listener lost what followed.”

murmur noun US /ˈmɜːrmər/

a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech

From this reading “EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.”

Soapy adjective US /ˈsoʊpi/

resembling or having the qualities of soap

From this reading “EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.”

Tin noun US /tɪn/

a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide

From this reading “Once he thought he heard the name Tin Cup, but he could not be sure.”

whispering noun US /ˈwɪspərɪŋ/

a light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind

From this reading “After more whispering, "Yep, soon as you hear the first shot ... cover the passengers...."”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

Tin Cup noun + noun

In this reading “Once he thought he heard the name Tin Cup, but he could not be sure.”

first shot adjective + noun

In this reading “After more whispering, "Yep, soon as you hear the first shot ... cover the passengers...."”

All words in this reading · 50

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.

57

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

From this reading " ... then you'll take the 9:57, Sam...."

9

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

From this reading " ... then you'll take the 9:57, Sam...."

AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading After more whispering, "Yep, soon as you hear the first shot ... cover the passengers...."

aliasnounUS /ˈeɪliəs/

a name that has been assumed temporarily

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Once he thought he heard the name Tin Cup, but he could not be sure.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Once he thought he heard the name Tin Cup, but he could not be sure.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Once he thought he heard the name Tin Cup, but he could not be sure.

coververbUS /ˈkʌvər/

provide with a covering or cause to be covered

From this reading After more whispering, "Yep, soon as you hear the first shot ... cover the passengers...."

CupnounUS /kʌp/

a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle

From this reading Once he thought he heard the name Tin Cup, but he could not be sure.

CurlyadjectiveUS /ˈkɜːrli/

(of hair) having curls or waves

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

EAVESDROPPINGverbUS /ˈiːvzdrɑːpɪŋ/

inflected form of “eavesdrop” — listen without the speaker's knowledge

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading After more whispering, "Yep, soon as you hear the first shot ... cover the passengers...."

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading The listener lost what followed.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Once he thought he heard the name Tin Cup, but he could not be sure.

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading After more whispering, "Yep, soon as you hear the first shot ... cover the passengers...."

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading Once he thought he heard the name Tin Cup, but he could not be sure.

KnowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

listenernounUS /ˈlɪsənər/

someone who listens attentively

From this reading The listener lost what followed.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading The listener lost what followed.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading After more whispering, "Yep, soon as you hear the first shot ... cover the passengers...."

murmurnounUS /ˈmɜːrmər/

a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Once he thought he heard the name Tin Cup, but he could not be sure.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Once he thought he heard the name Tin Cup, but he could not be sure.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

OnceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading Once he thought he heard the name Tin Cup, but he could not be sure.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

OutadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

passengersnounUS /ˈpæsəndʒərz/

plural of “passenger” — a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it

From this reading After more whispering, "Yep, soon as you hear the first shot ... cover the passengers...."

recognizedadjectiveUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪzd/

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

SamnounUS /sæm/

a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target

From this reading " ... then you'll take the 9:57, Sam...."

shotnounUS /ʃɑːt/

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading After more whispering, "Yep, soon as you hear the first shot ... cover the passengers...."

SoapyadjectiveUS /ˈsoʊpi/

resembling or having the qualities of soap

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading After more whispering, "Yep, soon as you hear the first shot ... cover the passengers...."

StonenounUS /stoʊn/

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading Once he thought he heard the name Tin Cup, but he could not be sure.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading " ... then you'll take the 9:57, Sam...."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading " ... then you'll take the 9:57, Sam...."

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Once he thought he heard the name Tin Cup, but he could not be sure.

TinnounUS /tɪn/

a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide

From this reading Once he thought he heard the name Tin Cup, but he could not be sure.

voicesnounUS /ˈvɔɪsəz/

plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading The listener lost what followed.

whisperingnounUS /ˈwɪspərɪŋ/

a light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind

From this reading After more whispering, "Yep, soon as you hear the first shot ... cover the passengers...."

WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

Yep

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

From this reading After more whispering, "Yep, soon as you hear the first shot ... cover the passengers...."

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading EAVESDROPPING Out of the murmur of voices came one that Curly recognized as that of Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.

you'll

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

From this reading " ... then you'll take the 9:57, Sam...."

Chapter 9 of Crooked Trails and Straight by William MacLeod Raine holds 436 sentences, grouped into 88 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 9 of Crooked Trails and Straight contain?

Chapter 9 holds 436 sentences of Crooked Trails and Straight, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Crooked Trails and Straight by William MacLeod Raine exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 436 sentences, grouped into 88 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 9 of Crooked Trails and Straight?

Work through the 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 88 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Crooked Trails and Straight

Common questions about reading Crooked Trails and Straight by William MacLeod Raine on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Crooked Trails and Straight?

Yes. All 6287 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26911 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Crooked Trails and Straight is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26911, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Crooked Trails and Straight take to read?

About 523 minutes of reading across 1258 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Crooked Trails and Straight section by section

How to work through Crooked Trails and Straight section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 30 chapters of Crooked Trails and Straight 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 Crooked Trails and Straight

Words and structures a reader meets early in Crooked Trails and Straight, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Crooked Trails and Straight; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Brand
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Crooked Trails and Straight; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Blotters
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Crooked Trails and Straight; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bucky
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Crooked Trails and Straight; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.