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Drift from Two Shores
Drift from Two Shores

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Drift from Two Shores is here in full — 36 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.
A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.
"Shine your boots, sir?"
It was the voice of a youth in humble attire, standing before the flap of the commanding general's tent.
The General raised his head from his correspondence.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Drift from Two Shores

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Drift from Two Shores is here in full — 36 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/7 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.
Line 2
A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.
/ə ˈkwɑːntəti ʌv truːps wɜːr mæst bɪˈfɔːr ðə ˈpɪdʒən fiːt ɪnˈkæmpmɪnt ənd æn əˈtæk wɑːz ˈaʊrli ˈɪmənənt/
Line 3
"Shine your boots, sir?"
/ʃaɪn jɔːr buːts sɜːr/
Line 4
It was the voice of a youth in humble attire, standing before the flap of the commanding general's tent.
/ɪt wɑːz ðə vɔɪs ʌv ə juːθ ɪn ˈhʌmbəl əˈtaɪər ˈstændɪŋ bɪˈfɔːr ðə flæp ʌv ðə kəˈmændɪŋ ˈdʒenərəlz tent/
Line 5
The General raised his head from his correspondence.
/ðə ˈdʒenərəl reɪzd hɪz hed frʌm hɪz ˌkɔːrəˈspɑːndəns/

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.

commissary noun US /ˈkɑːməseri/

a retail store that sells equipment and provisions (usually to military personnel)

From this reading “But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.”

encampment noun US /ɪnˈkæmpmɪnt/

a site where people on holiday can pitch a tent

From this reading “A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.”

flap verb US /flæp/

move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion

From this reading “It was the voice of a youth in humble attire, standing before the flap of the commanding general's tent.”

general's noun US /ˈdʒenərəlz/

possessive form of “general” — a general officer of the highest rank

From this reading “It was the voice of a youth in humble attire, standing before the flap of the commanding general's tent.”

hourly adjective US /ˈaʊrli/

occurring every hour or payable by the hour

From this reading “A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.”

massed verb US /mæst/

past form of “mass” — join together into a mass or collect or form a mass

From this reading “A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.”

Pigeon noun US /ˈpɪdʒən/

wild and domesticated birds having a heavy body and short legs

From this reading “A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.”

stationery noun US /ˈsteɪʃəneri/

paper cut to an appropriate size for writing letters; usually with matching envelopes

From this reading “But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.”

All words in this reading · 66

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.

activeadjectiveUS /ˈæktɪv/

tending to become more severe or wider in scope

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

attacknounUS /əˈtæk/

(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)

From this reading A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.

attirenounUS /əˈtaɪər/

clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion

From this reading It was the voice of a youth in humble attire, standing before the flap of the commanding general's tent.

authoritiesnounUS /əˈθɔːrətiz/

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

awakenedadjectiveUS /əˈweɪkənd/

aroused or activated

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.

bootsnounUS /buːts/

plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg

From this reading "Shine your boots, sir?"

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

captureverbUS /ˈkæptʃər/

succeed in representing or expressing something intangible

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

commandingadjectiveUS /kəˈmændɪŋ/

used of a height or viewpoint

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

commissarynounUS /ˈkɑːməseri/

a retail store that sells equipment and provisions (usually to military personnel)

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

correspondencenounUS /ˌkɔːrəˈspɑːndəns/

communication by the exchange of letters

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

DepartmentnounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtmənt/

a specialized division of a large organization

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

destructionnounUS /dɪˈstrʌkʃən/

the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

encampmentnounUS /ɪnˈkæmpmɪnt/

a site where people on holiday can pitch a tent

From this reading A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.

exertionnounUS /ɪɡˈzɜːrʃən/

use of physical or mental energy; hard work

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

FeetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.

flapverbUS /flæp/

move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion

From this reading It was the voice of a youth in humble attire, standing before the flap of the commanding general's tent.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The General raised his head from his correspondence.

generaladjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəl/

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

general'snounUS /ˈdʒenərəlz/

possessive form of “general” — a general officer of the highest rank

From this reading It was the voice of a youth in humble attire, standing before the flap of the commanding general's tent.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading The General raised his head from his correspondence.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

hourlyadjectiveUS /ˈaʊrli/

occurring every hour or payable by the hour

From this reading A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.

humbleadjectiveUS /ˈhʌmbəl/

low or inferior in station or quality

From this reading It was the voice of a youth in humble attire, standing before the flap of the commanding general's tent.

imminentadjectiveUS /ˈɪmənənt/

close in time; about to occur

From this reading A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was the voice of a youth in humble attire, standing before the flap of the commanding general's tent.

intendedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtendɪd/

resulting from one's intentions

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

interferedverbUS /ˌɪntərˈfɪrd/

past form of “interfere” — come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was the voice of a youth in humble attire, standing before the flap of the commanding general's tent.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

massedverbUS /mæst/

past form of “mass” — join together into a mass or collect or form a mass

From this reading A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.

militaryadjectiveUS /ˈmɪləteri/

of or relating to the study of the principles of warfare

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

PigeonnounUS /ˈpɪdʒən/

wild and domesticated birds having a heavy body and short legs

From this reading A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.

quantitynounUS /ˈkwɑːntəti/

how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify

From this reading A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.

raisedadjectiveUS /reɪzd/

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

From this reading The General raised his head from his correspondence.

regularadjectiveUS /ˈreɡjələr/

in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

ShineverbUS /ʃaɪn/

be bright by reflecting or casting light

From this reading "Shine your boots, sir?"

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading "Shine your boots, sir?"

standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

From this reading It was the voice of a youth in humble attire, standing before the flap of the commanding general's tent.

StatesnounUS /steɪts/

plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

stationerynounUS /ˈsteɪʃəneri/

paper cut to an appropriate size for writing letters; usually with matching envelopes

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

tentnounUS /tent/

a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)

From this reading It was the voice of a youth in humble attire, standing before the flap of the commanding general's tent.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

tonsnounUS /tʌnz/

a large number or amount

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

troopsnounUS /truːps/

soldiers collectively

From this reading A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

UnitedadjectiveUS /juːˈnaɪtɪd/

characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading It was the voice of a youth in humble attire, standing before the flap of the commanding general's tent.

wagon-loads

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

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

WarnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading A quantity of troops were massed before the "Pigeon Feet" encampment, and an attack was hourly imminent.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

whiskynounUS /ˈwɪski/

a liquor made from fermented mash of grain

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading But the capture of several wagon-loads of commissary whisky, and the destruction of two tons of stationery intended for the general commanding, which interfered with his regular correspondence with the War Department, at last awakened the United States military authorities to active exertion.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Shine your boots, sir?"

youthnounUS /juːθ/

a young person (especially a young man or boy)

From this reading It was the voice of a youth in humble attire, standing before the flap of the commanding general's tent.

Chapter 4 of Drift from Two Shores by Bret Harte holds 36 sentences, grouped into 8 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.

What does chapter 4 of Drift from Two Shores contain?

Chapter 4 holds 36 sentences of Drift from Two Shores, unabridged, divided into 8 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Drift from Two Shores by Bret Harte exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 36 sentences, grouped into 8 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 4 of Drift from Two Shores?

Work through the 8 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 8 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 4 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Drift from Two Shores

Common questions about reading Drift from Two Shores by Bret Harte on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Drift from Two Shores?

Yes. All 1437 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2179 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Drift from Two Shores is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2179, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Drift from Two Shores take to read?

About 119 minutes of reading across 288 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Drift from Two Shores

Words and structures a reader meets early in Drift from Two Shores, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Quiet
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Drift from Two Shores; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
England
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Drift from Two Shores; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Village
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Drift from Two Shores; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nowhere
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Drift from Two Shores; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.