Chapter 12 of Down the River is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Down the River is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
SQUIRE FISHLEY MAKES IT RIGHT. "Did you know how much money you gave me, Squire Fishley?" I asked of my distinguished companion, as I drove over the bridge. "No, I did not; and I don't wonder that you ask, Buck," he replied, very solemnly. "You gave me forty-six dollars, sir."
Chapter 12 of Down the River is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 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.
a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.
From this reading “I asked of my distinguished companion, as I drove over the bridge.”
to strive with determination
From this reading “"No, I did not; and I don't wonder that you ask, Buck," he replied, very solemnly.”
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading “I asked of my distinguished companion, as I drove over the bridge.”
(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation
From this reading “I asked of my distinguished companion, as I drove over the bridge.”
plural of “dollar” — the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading “"You gave me forty-six dollars, sir."”
a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together
From this reading “I asked of my distinguished companion, as I drove over the bridge.”
in a grave and sedate manner
From this reading “"No, I did not; and I don't wonder that you ask, Buck," he replied, very solemnly.”
young nobleman attendant on a knight
From this reading “SQUIRE FISHLEY MAKES IT RIGHT.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "No, I did not; and I don't wonder that you ask, Buck," he replied, very solemnly.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I asked of my distinguished companion, as I drove over the bridge.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "No, I did not; and I don't wonder that you ask, Buck," he replied, very solemnly.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I asked of my distinguished companion, as I drove over the bridge.
a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.
From this reading I asked of my distinguished companion, as I drove over the bridge.
to strive with determination
From this reading "No, I did not; and I don't wonder that you ask, Buck," he replied, very solemnly.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading I asked of my distinguished companion, as I drove over the bridge.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Did you know how much money you gave me, Squire Fishley?"
(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation
From this reading I asked of my distinguished companion, as I drove over the bridge.
plural of “dollar” — the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading "You gave me forty-six dollars, sir."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "No, I did not; and I don't wonder that you ask, Buck," he replied, very solemnly.
a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together
From this reading I asked of my distinguished companion, as I drove over the bridge.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SQUIRE FISHLEY MAKES IT RIGHT.
being six more than forty
From this reading "You gave me forty-six dollars, sir."
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "Did you know how much money you gave me, Squire Fishley?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "No, I did not; and I don't wonder that you ask, Buck," he replied, very solemnly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Did you know how much money you gave me, Squire Fishley?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I asked of my distinguished companion, as I drove over the bridge.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading SQUIRE FISHLEY MAKES IT RIGHT.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "Did you know how much money you gave me, Squire Fishley?"
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading SQUIRE FISHLEY MAKES IT RIGHT.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Did you know how much money you gave me, Squire Fishley?"
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading "Did you know how much money you gave me, Squire Fishley?"
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "Did you know how much money you gave me, Squire Fishley?"
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I asked of my distinguished companion, as I drove over the bridge.
not any; not one
From this reading "No, I did not; and I don't wonder that you ask, Buck," he replied, very solemnly.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "No, I did not; and I don't wonder that you ask, Buck," he replied, very solemnly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I asked of my distinguished companion, as I drove over the bridge.
above and across; more than
From this reading I asked of my distinguished companion, as I drove over the bridge.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "No, I did not; and I don't wonder that you ask, Buck," he replied, very solemnly.
precisely, exactly
From this reading SQUIRE FISHLEY MAKES IT RIGHT.
term of address for a man
From this reading "You gave me forty-six dollars, sir."
in a grave and sedate manner
From this reading "No, I did not; and I don't wonder that you ask, Buck," he replied, very solemnly.
young nobleman attendant on a knight
From this reading SQUIRE FISHLEY MAKES IT RIGHT.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "No, I did not; and I don't wonder that you ask, Buck," he replied, very solemnly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I asked of my distinguished companion, as I drove over the bridge.
precisely as stated
From this reading "No, I did not; and I don't wonder that you ask, Buck," he replied, very solemnly.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading "No, I did not; and I don't wonder that you ask, Buck," he replied, very solemnly.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Did you know how much money you gave me, Squire Fishley?"
Chapter 12 of Down the River by Oliver Optic holds 114 sentences, grouped into 23 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 12 holds 114 sentences of Down the River, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Down the River by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 114 sentences, grouped into 23 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 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 23 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 12 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 River by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3858 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24283 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24283, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 321 minutes of reading across 772 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Down the River section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of Down the River 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 River, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
