Chapter 4 of Down the Ravine is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Down the Ravine is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture. "Come here, my little man!" he said in a kind voice. Rufe hesitated. Then he was seized by sudden distrust. Who was this stranger? and why did he call, "Come here!"
Chapter 4 of Down the Ravine is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/47 · 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.
diffusing warmth and friendliness
From this reading “As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.”
doubt about someone's honesty
From this reading “Then he was seized by sudden distrust.”
motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading “As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.”
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading “Rufe hesitated.”
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading “Then he was seized by sudden distrust.”
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading “As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.”
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading “Who was this stranger? and why did he call, "Come here!"”
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading “Then he was seized by sudden distrust.”
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 As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Who was this stranger? and why did he call, "Come here!"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Then he was seized by sudden distrust.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Who was this stranger? and why did he call, "Come here!"
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Come here, my little man!" he said in a kind voice.
diffusing warmth and friendliness
From this reading As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Who was this stranger? and why did he call, "Come here!"
doubt about someone's honesty
From this reading Then he was seized by sudden distrust.
a man of refinement
From this reading As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.
motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Come here, my little man!" he said in a kind voice.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Come here, my little man!" he said in a kind voice.
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading Rufe hesitated.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Come here, my little man!" he said in a kind voice.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading "Come here, my little man!" he said in a kind voice.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Come here, my little man!" he said in a kind voice.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "Come here, my little man!" he said in a kind voice.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Come here, my little man!" he said in a kind voice.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Come here, my little man!" he said in a kind voice.
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading Then he was seized by sudden distrust.
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.
not in physical motion
From this reading As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading Who was this stranger? and why did he call, "Come here!"
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading Then he was seized by sudden distrust.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he was seized by sudden distrust.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Who was this stranger? and why did he call, "Come here!"
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "Come here, my little man!" he said in a kind voice.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Then he was seized by sudden distrust.
which person or people
From this reading Who was this stranger? and why did he call, "Come here!"
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Who was this stranger? and why did he call, "Come here!"
in the company of; together with
From this reading As Rufe still stood staring, the old gentleman held out his hand with a cordial gesture.
Chapter 4 of Down the Ravine by Charles Egbert Craddock holds 237 sentences, grouped into 48 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 237 sentences of Down the Ravine, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Down the Ravine by Charles Egbert Craddock exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 237 sentences, grouped into 48 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 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 48 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 Down the Ravine by Charles Egbert Craddock on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1911 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5306 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5306, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 159 minutes of reading across 383 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Down the Ravine section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Down the Ravine 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 Down the Ravine, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
