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Crooked Trails and Straight
Crooked Trails and Straight

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of Crooked Trails and Straight is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Crooked Trails and Straight
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.
"You never saw the hitch thrown better, sis," he bragged, boy-like.
"Uncle Luck says I do it well as he can."
"It's fine, Bob," his cousin agreed, with the proper enthusiasm in her dark eyes.
"You'll have to teach me how to do it one of these days."
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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 XIV

Chapter 14 of Crooked Trails and Straight 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

Line 1
KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.
Line 2
"You never saw the hitch thrown better, sis," he bragged, boy-like.
Line 3
"Uncle Luck says I do it well as he can."
/ˈʌŋkəl lʌk sez aɪ duː ɪt wel æz hiː kæn/
Line 4
"It's fine, Bob," his cousin agreed, with the proper enthusiasm in her dark eyes.
Line 5
"You'll have to teach me how to do it one of these days."

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.

bragged verb US /bræɡd/

inflected form of “brag” — show off

From this reading “"You never saw the hitch thrown better, sis," he bragged, boy-like.”

diamond noun US /ˈdaɪmənd/

a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem

From this reading “KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.”

enthusiasm noun US /ɪnˈθuːziæzəm/

a feeling of excitement

From this reading “"It's fine, Bob," his cousin agreed, with the proper enthusiasm in her dark eyes.”

hitch verb US /hɪtʃ/

to hook or entangle

From this reading “KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.”

inspect verb US /ˌɪnˈspekt/

look over carefully

From this reading “KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.”

proudly adverb US /ˈpraʊdli/

with pride; in a proud manner

From this reading “KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.”

sis noun US /sɪs/

a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading “"You never saw the hitch thrown better, sis," he bragged, boy-like.”

uses noun US /ˈjuːsəz/

plural of “use” — the act of using

From this reading “KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.”

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.

dark eyes noun + noun

In this reading “"It's fine, Bob," his cousin agreed, with the proper enthusiasm in her dark eyes.”

All words in this reading · 56

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.

agreedadjectiveUS /əˈɡriːd/

united by being of the same opinion

From this reading "It's fine, Bob," his cousin agreed, with the proper enthusiasm in her dark eyes.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "Uncle Luck says I do it well as he can."

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading "You never saw the hitch thrown better, sis," he bragged, boy-like.

BobverbUS /bɑːb/

move up and down repeatedly

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

boy-like

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

From this reading "You never saw the hitch thrown better, sis," he bragged, boy-like.

braggedverbUS /bræɡd/

inflected form of “brag” — show off

From this reading "You never saw the hitch thrown better, sis," he bragged, boy-like.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading "Uncle Luck says I do it well as he can."

cousinnounUS /ˈkʌzən/

the child of your aunt or uncle

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

Cullison

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

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading "It's fine, Bob," his cousin agreed, with the proper enthusiasm in her dark eyes.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading "You'll have to teach me how to do it one of these days."

diamondnounUS /ˈdaɪmənd/

a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "Uncle Luck says I do it well as he can."

enthusiasmnounUS /ɪnˈθuːziæzəm/

a feeling of excitement

From this reading "It's fine, Bob," his cousin agreed, with the proper enthusiasm in her dark eyes.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading "It's fine, Bob," his cousin agreed, with the proper enthusiasm in her dark eyes.

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading "It's fine, Bob," his cousin agreed, with the proper enthusiasm in her dark eyes.

finishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪnɪʃt/

(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "You'll have to teach me how to do it one of these days."

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "You never saw the hitch thrown better, sis," he bragged, boy-like.

HERdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

hitchverbUS /hɪtʃ/

to hook or entangle

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

how

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

From this reading "You'll have to teach me how to do it one of these days."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "Uncle Luck says I do it well as he can."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "It's fine, Bob," his cousin agreed, with the proper enthusiasm in her dark eyes.

inspectverbUS /ˌɪnˈspekt/

look over carefully

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Uncle Luck says I do it well as he can."

It's

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

From this reading "It's fine, Bob," his cousin agreed, with the proper enthusiasm in her dark eyes.

KATE

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

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

LucknounUS /lʌk/

your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

From this reading "Uncle Luck says I do it well as he can."

makingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "You'll have to teach me how to do it one of these days."

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading "You never saw the hitch thrown better, sis," he bragged, boy-like.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "You'll have to teach me how to do it one of these days."

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "You'll have to teach me how to do it one of these days."

packhorsenoun

a workhorse used as a pack animal

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

properadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːpər/

marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness

From this reading "It's fine, Bob," his cousin agreed, with the proper enthusiasm in her dark eyes.

proudlyadverbUS /ˈpraʊdli/

with pride; in a proud manner

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

QUIRTnoun

whip with a leather thong at the end

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

Red-headed

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

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading "You never saw the hitch thrown better, sis," he bragged, boy-like.

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading "Uncle Luck says I do it well as he can."

sisnounUS /sɪs/

a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading "You never saw the hitch thrown better, sis," he bragged, boy-like.

teachverbUS /tiːtʃ/

impart skills or knowledge to

From this reading "You'll have to teach me how to do it one of these days."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading "You'll have to teach me how to do it one of these days."

thrownadjectiveUS /θroʊn/

caused to fall to the ground

From this reading "You never saw the hitch thrown better, sis," he bragged, boy-like.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

UnclenounUS /ˈʌŋkəl/

the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading "Uncle Luck says I do it well as he can."

USESnounUS /ˈjuːsəz/

plural of “use” — the act of using

From this reading KATE USES HER QUIRT Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading "Uncle Luck says I do it well as he can."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "It's fine, Bob," his cousin agreed, with the proper enthusiasm in her dark eyes.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You never saw the hitch thrown better, sis," he bragged, boy-like.

You'll

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

From this reading "You'll have to teach me how to do it one of these days."

Chapter 14 of Crooked Trails and Straight by William MacLeod Raine 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.

What does chapter 14 of Crooked Trails and Straight contain?

Chapter 14 holds 141 sentences of Crooked Trails and Straight, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of Crooked Trails and Straight by William MacLeod Raine 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.

How do I study chapter 14 of Crooked Trails and Straight?

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.

Can chapter 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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.