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Hunting the Skipper
Hunting the Skipper

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Hunting the Skipper is here in full — 399 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Hunting the Skipper
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Not a haporth, sir.
I on'y hope he arn't gone through."
"Gone through!" cried Murray, in horror.
"Yes, sir; I hope not, but it's solid soft everywhere I've been.
I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."
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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.

Hunting the Skipper

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Hunting the Skipper is here in full — 399 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Not a haporth, sir.
Line 2
I on'y hope he arn't gone through."
Line 3
"Gone through!" cried Murray, in horror.
/ɡɔːn θruː kraɪd ˈmɜːri ɪn ˈhɔːrər/
Line 4
"Yes, sir; I hope not, but it's solid soft everywhere I've been.
Line 5
I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

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.

everywhere adverb US /ˈevriwer/

to or in any or all places

From this reading “"Yes, sir; I hope not, but it's solid soft everywhere I've been.”

hold verb US /hoʊld/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading “I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."”

horror noun US /ˈhɔːrər/

intense and profound fear

From this reading “"Gone through!" cried Murray, in horror.”

Murray noun US /ˈmɜːri/

British classical scholar (born in Australia) who advocated the League of Nations and the United Nations (1866-1957)

From this reading “"Gone through!" cried Murray, in horror.”

soft adjective US /sɑːft/

yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading “"Yes, sir; I hope not, but it's solid soft everywhere I've been.”

solid adjective US /ˈsɑːləd/

characterized by good substantial quality

From this reading “"Yes, sir; I hope not, but it's solid soft everywhere I've been.”

toes noun US /toʊz/

plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot

From this reading “I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."”

tugged verb US /tʌɡd/

inflected form of “tug” — pull hard

From this reading “I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."”

All words in this reading · 51

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 "Not a haporth, sir.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

arn't

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

From this reading I on'y hope he arn't gone through."

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading "Yes, sir; I hope not, but it's solid soft everywhere I've been.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "Yes, sir; I hope not, but it's solid soft everywhere I've been.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

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

From this reading "Gone through!" cried Murray, in horror.

crorkendillo

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

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

emnounUS /em/

a quad with a square body

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

everywhereadverbUS /ˈevriwer/

to or in any or all places

From this reading "Yes, sir; I hope not, but it's solid soft everywhere I've been.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading I on'y hope he arn't gone through."

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

half-a-dozen

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

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

haporth

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

From this reading "Not a haporth, sir.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading I on'y hope he arn't gone through."

holdverbUS /hoʊld/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading I on'y hope he arn't gone through."

horrornounUS /ˈhɔːrər/

intense and profound fear

From this reading "Gone through!" cried Murray, in horror.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I on'y hope he arn't gone through."

I've

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

From this reading "Yes, sir; I hope not, but it's solid soft everywhere I've been.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Gone through!" cried Murray, in horror.

it's

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

From this reading "Yes, sir; I hope not, but it's solid soft everywhere I've been.

lizardy

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

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

MurraynounUS /ˈmɜːri/

British classical scholar (born in Australia) who advocated the League of Nations and the United Nations (1866-1957)

From this reading "Gone through!" cried Murray, in horror.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "Not a haporth, sir.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

on'y

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

From this reading I on'y hope he arn't gone through."

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading "Not a haporth, sir.

softadjectiveUS /sɑːft/

yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading "Yes, sir; I hope not, but it's solid soft everywhere I've been.

solidadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːləd/

characterized by good substantial quality

From this reading "Yes, sir; I hope not, but it's solid soft everywhere I've been.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading I on'y hope he arn't gone through."

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

toesnounUS /toʊz/

plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

tuggedverbUS /tʌɡd/

inflected form of “tug” — pull hard

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

twiced

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

From this reading I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading "Yes, sir; I hope not, but it's solid soft everywhere I've been.

Chapter 12 of Hunting the Skipper by George Manville Fenn holds 399 sentences, grouped into 80 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 12 of Hunting the Skipper contain?

Chapter 12 holds 399 sentences of Hunting the Skipper, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Hunting the Skipper by George Manville Fenn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 399 sentences, grouped into 80 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 12 of Hunting the Skipper?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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 12 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Hunting the Skipper

Common questions about reading Hunting the Skipper by George Manville Fenn on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Hunting the Skipper?

Yes. All 9452 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27907 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Hunting the Skipper is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #27907, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Hunting the Skipper take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1891 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Hunting the Skipper section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of Hunting the Skipper 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 Hunting the Skipper

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

Hunting
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hunting the Skipper; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Skipper
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hunting the Skipper; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
George
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hunting the Skipper; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Manville
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hunting the Skipper; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.