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Hike and the aeroplane
Hike and the aeroplane

Chapter XXVI

Chapter 26 of Hike and the aeroplane is here in full — 104 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Sinclair Lewis • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Hike and the aeroplane
Context Illustration Reading 1/20 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A KITE FOR WATCH-TOWER “Hike!” cried Lieutenant Adeler, suddenly.
“There’s a horrible possibility.
Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.
Mighty few men on it—it’s run by Mrs. Barston and her daughter.”
“You think—they’d attack, just to get even?”
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Hike and the aeroplane

Chapter XXVI

Chapter 26 of Hike and the aeroplane is here in full — 104 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A KITE FOR WATCH-TOWER “Hike!” cried Lieutenant Adeler, suddenly.
Line 2
“There’s a horrible possibility.
Line 3
Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.
Line 4
Mighty few men on it—it’s run by Mrs. Barston and her daughter.”
Line 5
“You think—they’d attack, just to get even?”

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.

Hike noun US /haɪk/

a long walk usually for exercise or pleasure

From this reading “A KITE FOR WATCH-TOWER “Hike!” cried Lieutenant Adeler, suddenly.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
horrible adjective US /ˈhɔːrəbəl/

provoking horror

From this reading ““There’s a horrible possibility.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
kite noun US /kaɪt/

a bank check that has been fraudulently altered to increase its face value

From this reading “A KITE FOR WATCH-TOWER “Hike!” cried Lieutenant Adeler, suddenly.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
northwest noun US /ˌnɔːrˈθwest/

the northwestern region of the United States

From this reading “Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ordinarily adverb US /ˌɔːrdəˈnerəli/

under normal conditions

From this reading “Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
possibility noun US /ˌpɑːsəˈbɪlətiː/

a future prospect or potential

From this reading ““There’s a horrible possibility.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
revolutionists noun US /ˌrevəˈluːʃənɪsts/

plural of “revolutionist” — a radical supporter of political or social revolution

From this reading “Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Widow noun US /ˈwɪdoʊ/

a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried

From this reading “Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.”

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.

few men adjective + noun

In this reading “Mighty few men on it—it’s run by Mrs. Barston and her daughter.””

5,026 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 55

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 KITE FOR WATCH-TOWER “Hike!” cried Lieutenant Adeler, suddenly.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Adeler

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

From this reading A KITE FOR WATCH-TOWER “Hike!” cried Lieutenant Adeler, suddenly.

Pending verification
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
attacknounUS /əˈtæk/

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

From this reading “You think—they’d attack, just to get even?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Barston

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

From this reading Mighty few men on it—it’s run by Mrs. Barston and her daughter.”

Pending verification
Barston's

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

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

Pending verification
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Mighty few men on it—it’s run by Mrs. Barston and her daughter.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading A KITE FOR WATCH-TOWER “Hike!” cried Lieutenant Adeler, suddenly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daughternounUS /ˈdɔːtər/

a female human offspring

From this reading Mighty few men on it—it’s run by Mrs. Barston and her daughter.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
directionnounUS /dərˈekʃən/

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading “You think—they’d attack, just to get even?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading Mighty few men on it—it’s run by Mrs. Barston and her daughter.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FORprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading A KITE FOR WATCH-TOWER “Hike!” cried Lieutenant Adeler, suddenly.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading “You think—they’d attack, just to get even?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Mighty few men on it—it’s run by Mrs. Barston and her daughter.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HikenounUS /haɪk/

a long walk usually for exercise or pleasure

From this reading A KITE FOR WATCH-TOWER “Hike!” cried Lieutenant Adeler, suddenly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
horribleadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːrəbəl/

provoking horror

From this reading “There’s a horrible possibility.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
it's

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

From this reading Mighty few men on it—it’s run by Mrs. Barston and her daughter.”

Pending verification
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading “You think—they’d attack, just to get even?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
KITEnounUS /kaɪt/

a bank check that has been fraudulently altered to increase its face value

From this reading A KITE FOR WATCH-TOWER “Hike!” cried Lieutenant Adeler, suddenly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LieutenantnounUS /luːˈtenənt/

a commissioned military officer

From this reading A KITE FOR WATCH-TOWER “Hike!” cried Lieutenant Adeler, suddenly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Mighty few men on it—it’s run by Mrs. Barston and her daughter.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MightyadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪti/

having or showing great strength or force or intensity

From this reading Mighty few men on it—it’s run by Mrs. Barston and her daughter.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading Mighty few men on it—it’s run by Mrs. Barston and her daughter.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
northwestnounUS /ˌnɔːrˈθwest/

the northwestern region of the United States

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
noticenounUS /ˈnoʊtəs/

an announcement containing information about an event

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Mighty few men on it—it’s run by Mrs. Barston and her daughter.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ordinarilyadverbUS /ˌɔːrdəˈnerəli/

under normal conditions

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
possibilitynounUS /ˌpɑːsəˈbɪlətiː/

a future prospect or potential

From this reading “There’s a horrible possibility.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rancho

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

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

Pending verification
revolutionistsnounUS /ˌrevəˈluːʃənɪsts/

plural of “revolutionist” — a radical supporter of political or social revolution

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading Mighty few men on it—it’s run by Mrs. Barston and her daughter.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading A KITE FOR WATCH-TOWER “Hike!” cried Lieutenant Adeler, suddenly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

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 Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
There's

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

From this reading “There’s a horrible possibility.

Pending verification
they'd

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

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

Pending verification
they're

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

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

Pending verification
thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading “You think—they’d attack, just to get even?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WATCH-TOWER

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

From this reading A KITE FOR WATCH-TOWER “Hike!” cried Lieutenant Adeler, suddenly.

Pending verification
waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WidownounUS /ˈwɪdoʊ/

a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried

From this reading Most of the revolutionists are going northwest—and the Widow Barston’s rancho is off in that direction—they’d never notice it ordinarily, but they’re sure to, the way they’re going.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “You think—they’d attack, just to get even?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 26 of Hike and the aeroplane by Sinclair Lewis holds 104 sentences, grouped into 21 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 26 of Hike and the aeroplane contain?

Chapter 26 holds 104 sentences of Hike and the aeroplane, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 26 of Hike and the aeroplane by Sinclair Lewis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 104 sentences, grouped into 21 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 26 of Hike and the aeroplane?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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 26 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 26 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 Hike and the aeroplane

Common questions about reading Hike and the aeroplane by Sinclair Lewis on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Hike and the aeroplane?

Yes. All 3840 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #71212 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Hike and the aeroplane is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #71212, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Hike and the aeroplane take to read?

About 320 minutes of reading across 768 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Hike and the aeroplane section by section

How to work through Hike and the aeroplane section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 28 chapters of Hike and the aeroplane 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 Hike and the aeroplane

Words and structures a reader meets early in Hike and the aeroplane, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Rescue
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hike and the aeroplane; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Canyon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hike and the aeroplane; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Diablo
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hike and the aeroplane; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Riding
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hike and the aeroplane; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.