Chapter 15 of Crooked Trails and Straight is here in full — 321 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of Crooked Trails and Straight is here in full — 321 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"AIN'T SHE THE GAMEST LITTLE THOROUGHBRED?" Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone. Bob was on a side porch mending a bridle. "Have you heard anything from dad?" she cried through the open door. "Nope," he answered, hammering down a rivet.
Chapter 15 of Crooked Trails and Straight is here in full — 321 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/64 · 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.
headgear for a horse; includes a headstall and bit and reins to give the rider or driver control
From this reading “Bob was on a side porch mending a bridle.”
past form of “gallop” — ride at a galloping pace
From this reading “Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.”
superlative of “game” — disabled in the feet or legs
From this reading “"AIN'T SHE THE GAMEST LITTLE THOROUGHBRED?"”
the act of pounding (delivering repeated heavy blows)
From this reading “"Nope," he answered, hammering down a rivet.”
garments that must be repaired
From this reading “Bob was on a side porch mending a bridle.”
a public square with room for pedestrians
From this reading “Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.”
direct one's attention on something
From this reading “"Nope," he answered, hammering down a rivet.”
a well-bred person
From this reading “"AIN'T SHE THE GAMEST LITTLE THOROUGHBRED?"”
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.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
In this reading “Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.”
the policy of granting equal trade opportunities to all countries
In this reading “"Have you heard anything from dad?" she cried through the open door.”
In this reading “Bob was on a side porch mending a bridle.”
In this reading “Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.”
without official authorization
In this reading “Bob was on a side porch mending a bridle.”
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 Bob was on a side porch mending a bridle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "AIN'T SHE THE GAMEST LITTLE THOROUGHBRED?"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "Nope," he answered, hammering down a rivet.
any thing at all
From this reading "Have you heard anything from dad?" she cried through the open door.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading Bob was on a side porch mending a bridle.
headgear for a horse; includes a headstall and bit and reins to give the rider or driver control
From this reading Bob was on a side porch mending a bridle.
plural of “building” — a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Have you heard anything from dad?" she cried through the open door.
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading "Have you heard anything from dad?" she cried through the open door.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading "Have you heard anything from dad?" she cried through the open door.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "Nope," he answered, hammering down a rivet.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
past form of “gallop” — ride at a galloping pace
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
superlative of “game” — disabled in the feet or legs
From this reading "AIN'T SHE THE GAMEST LITTLE THOROUGHBRED?"
the act of pounding (delivering repeated heavy blows)
From this reading "Nope," he answered, hammering down a rivet.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Have you heard anything from dad?" she cried through the open door.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Nope," he answered, hammering down a rivet.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading "Have you heard anything from dad?" she cried through the open door.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "AIN'T SHE THE GAMEST LITTLE THOROUGHBRED?"
garments that must be repaired
From this reading Bob was on a side porch mending a bridle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Nope," he answered, hammering down a rivet.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Bob was on a side porch mending a bridle.
on one occasion
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading "Have you heard anything from dad?" she cried through the open door.
a public square with room for pedestrians
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
a range horse of the western United States
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading Bob was on a side porch mending a bridle.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
direct one's attention on something
From this reading "Nope," he answered, hammering down a rivet.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "AIN'T SHE THE GAMEST LITTLE THOROUGHBRED?"
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Bob was on a side porch mending a bridle.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "AIN'T SHE THE GAMEST LITTLE THOROUGHBRED?"
a well-bred person
From this reading "AIN'T SHE THE GAMEST LITTLE THOROUGHBRED?"
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading "Have you heard anything from dad?" she cried through the open door.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Bob was on a side porch mending a bridle.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Kate galloped into the ranch plaza around which the buildings were set, slipped from her pony, and ran at once to the telephone.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Have you heard anything from dad?" she cried through the open door.
Chapter 15 of Crooked Trails and Straight by William MacLeod Raine holds 321 sentences, grouped into 65 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 15 holds 321 sentences of Crooked Trails and Straight, unabridged, divided into 65 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of Crooked Trails and Straight by William MacLeod Raine exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 321 sentences, grouped into 65 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 65 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 65 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 15 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 Crooked Trails and Straight by William MacLeod Raine on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6287 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26911 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26911, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 523 minutes of reading across 1258 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Crooked Trails and Straight section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of Crooked Trails and Straight 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 Crooked Trails and Straight, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
