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Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho
Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Harry Castlemon • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho
Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“OLD DAVY.”
It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.
They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.
They could not understand it at all.
Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.
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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.

Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“OLD DAVY.”
/oʊld ˈdeɪvi/
Line 2
It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.
/ɪt wɑːz ə lɔːŋ taɪm bɪˈfɔːr ðə bɔɪz siːst tuː ˈwʌndər æt ðə ˈsɪŋɡjələr ˈstɔːri ðeɪ hæd dʒʌst hɜːrd/
Line 3
They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.
/ðeɪ dɪˈskʌst ɪt waɪl ðeɪ wɜːr ˈraɪdɪŋ təˈwɔːrd ðə ˈmaʊntənz bʌt ˈæftər ðeɪ hæd ɔːl ɪkˈsprest æn əˈpɪnjən ðeɪ wɜːr æz mʌtʃ ɪn ðə dɑːrk æz ðeɪ hæd bɪn bɪˈfɔːr/
Line 4
They could not understand it at all.
/ðeɪ kʊd nɑːt ˌʌndərˈstænd ɪt æt ɔːl/
Line 5
Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

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.

creek noun US /kriːk/

a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)

From this reading “Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
davy noun US /ˈdeɪvi/

English chemist who was a pioneer in electrochemistry and who used it to isolate elements sodium and potassium and barium and boron and calcium and magnesium and chlorine (1778-1829)

From this reading ““OLD DAVY.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
discussed verb US /dɪˈskʌst/

past form of “discuss” — to consider or examine in speech or writing

From this reading “They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dreams noun US /driːmz/

plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep

From this reading “Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ferried verb US /ˈferid/

inflected form of “ferry” — transport from one place to another

From this reading “Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
riding noun US /ˈraɪdɪŋ/

the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements

From this reading “They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
singular adjective US /ˈsɪŋɡjələr/

unusual or striking

From this reading “It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
streaks noun US /striːks/

plural of “streak” — an unbroken series of events

From this reading “Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

across the creek preposition + article + noun counted as “across … creek”

In this reading “Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.”

411 times in 426,212 chapters
long time adjective + noun

a prolonged period of time

In this reading “It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.”

57,940 times in 426,212 chapters
toward the mountains preposition + article + noun counted as “toward … mountain”

In this reading “They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.”

541 times in 426,212 chapters
in the dark preposition + article + noun counted as “in … dark”

In this reading “They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.”

32,101 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 70

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 It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asleepadjectiveUS /əˈsliːp/

in a state of sleep

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
boatnounUS /boʊt/

a small vessel for travel on water

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BobverbUS /bɑːb/

move up and down repeatedly

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bridgenounUS /brɪdʒ/

a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ceasedverbUS /siːst/

past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity

From this reading It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cloudsnounUS /klaʊdz/

plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading They could not understand it at all.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
creeknounUS /kriːk/

a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DAVYnounUS /ˈdeɪvi/

English chemist who was a pioneer in electrochemistry and who used it to isolate elements sodium and potassium and barium and boron and calcium and magnesium and chlorine (1778-1829)

From this reading “OLD DAVY.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
declaredadjectiveUS /dɪˈklerd/

made known or openly avowed

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DicknounUS /dɪk/

someone who is a detective

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
discussedverbUS /dɪˈskʌst/

past form of “discuss” — to consider or examine in speech or writing

From this reading They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dreamsnounUS /driːmz/

plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
expressedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsprest/

communicated in words

From this reading They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ferriedverbUS /ˈferid/

inflected form of “ferry” — transport from one place to another

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mountainsnounUS /ˈmaʊntənz/

plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading They could not understand it at all.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OLDadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading “OLD DAVY.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
opinionnounUS /əˈpɪnjən/

a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty

From this reading They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rancho

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

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

Pending verification
ridingnounUS /ˈraɪdɪŋ/

the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements

From this reading They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
singularadjectiveUS /ˈsɪŋɡjələr/

unusual or striking

From this reading It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
streaksnounUS /striːks/

plural of “streak” — an unbroken series of events

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThomasnounUS /ˈtɑːməs/

United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading They could not understand it at all.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
watchingnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃɪŋ/

the act of observing; taking a patient look

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading They discussed it while they were riding toward the mountains; but after they had all expressed an opinion, they were as much in the dark as they had been before.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Dick Thomas declared that old Bob must have fallen asleep while he was watching the rancho, and that the bridge of clouds, the streaks of fire, and the boat that was ferried across the creek without hands, were things which he had seen only in his dreams.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wondernounUS /ˈwʌndər/

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading It was a long time before the boys ceased to wonder at the singular story they had just heard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 4 of Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho by Harry Castlemon holds 107 sentences, grouped into 22 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 4 of Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho contain?

Chapter 4 holds 107 sentences of Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho by Harry Castlemon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 107 sentences, grouped into 22 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 Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho?

Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 22 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 Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho

Common questions about reading Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho by Harry Castlemon on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho?

Yes. All 2236 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #42358 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #42358, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho take to read?

About 186 minutes of reading across 448 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho section by section

How to work through Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho 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 Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho

Words and structures a reader meets early in Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Rocky
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mountain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Series
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Frank
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.