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Lefty o' the bush
Lefty o' the bush

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of Lefty o' the bush is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Burt L. Standish • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Lefty o' the bush
Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.
Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.
“Well, here he is!” muttered Hutchinson, recognizing the heavy man as Riley.
“Hist!” breathed the Bancroft manager, as he puffed up the steps.
“’Fraid you wouldn’t be here.
0:00 / 0:00
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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.

Lefty o' the bush

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of Lefty o' the bush is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.
Line 2
Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.
Line 3
“Well, here he is!” muttered Hutchinson, recognizing the heavy man as Riley.
/wel hiːr hiː ɪz ˈmʌtərd ˈhʌtʃɪnsən ˈrekəɡnaɪzɪŋ ðə ˈhevi mæn æz ˈraɪli/
Line 4
“Hist!” breathed the Bancroft manager, as he puffed up the steps.
Line 5
“’Fraid you wouldn’t be here.

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.

breathed adjective US /briːðd/

uttered without voice

From this reading ““Hist!” breathed the Bancroft manager, as he puffed up the steps.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Central adjective US /ˈsentrəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading “A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Hutchinson noun US /ˈhʌtʃɪnsən/

American colonist (born in England) who was banished from Boston for her religious views (1591-1643)

From this reading “A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
manager noun US /ˈmænədʒər/

someone who controls resources and expenditures

From this reading ““Hist!” breathed the Bancroft manager, as he puffed up the steps.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
puffed adjective US /pʌft/

gathered for protruding fullness

From this reading ““Hist!” breathed the Bancroft manager, as he puffed up the steps.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
recognizing verb US /ˈrekəɡnaɪzɪŋ/

-ing form of “recognize” — accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority

From this reading ““Well, here he is!” muttered Hutchinson, recognizing the heavy man as Riley.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Riley noun US /ˈraɪli/

United States poet (1849-1916)

From this reading ““Well, here he is!” muttered Hutchinson, recognizing the heavy man as Riley.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smoking noun US /ˈsmoʊkɪŋ/

the act of smoking tobacco or other substances

From this reading “A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.”

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.

two men noun + noun

In this reading “Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.”

39,966 times in 426,211 chapters
SECRET MEETING noun + noun

In this reading “A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.”

381 times in 426,211 chapters
At nine preposition + noun

In this reading “A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.”

5,966 times in 426,211 chapters
came round verb + noun counted as “come round”

change one's position or opinion

In this reading “Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.”

9,294 times in 426,211 chapters
on the steps preposition + article + noun counted as “on … steps”

In this reading “A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.”

5,133 times in 426,211 chapters
stood on verb + particle

In this reading “A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.”

20,602 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 56

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 SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading “Well, here he is!” muttered Hutchinson, recognizing the heavy man as Riley.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Bancroft

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

From this reading “Hist!” breathed the Bancroft manager, as he puffed up the steps.

Pending verification
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading “’Fraid you wouldn’t be here.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BobverbUS /bɑːb/

move up and down repeatedly

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
breathedadjectiveUS /briːðd/

uttered without voice

From this reading “Hist!” breathed the Bancroft manager, as he puffed up the steps.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CentraladjectiveUS /ˈsentrəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Fraid

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

From this reading “’Fraid you wouldn’t be here.

Pending verification
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading “Well, here he is!” muttered Hutchinson, recognizing the heavy man as Riley.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading “Well, here he is!” muttered Hutchinson, recognizing the heavy man as Riley.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Hist

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

From this reading “Hist!” breathed the Bancroft manager, as he puffed up the steps.

Pending verification
HotelnounUS /hoʊˈtel/

a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hurriedadjectiveUS /ˈhɜːrid/

moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste

From this reading Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HutchinsonnounUS /ˈhʌtʃɪnsən/

American colonist (born in England) who was banished from Boston for her religious views (1591-1643)

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

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 “Well, here he is!” muttered Hutchinson, recognizing the heavy man as Riley.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Kingsbridge

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

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

Pending verification
mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading “Well, here he is!” muttered Hutchinson, recognizing the heavy man as Riley.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
managernounUS /ˈmænədʒər/

someone who controls resources and expenditures

From this reading “Hist!” breathed the Bancroft manager, as he puffed up the steps.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MEETINGnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋ/

a formally arranged gathering

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mutteredverbUS /ˈmʌtərd/

past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice

From this reading “Well, here he is!” muttered Hutchinson, recognizing the heavy man as Riley.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nearestadverbUS /ˈnɪrəst/

(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance

From this reading Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ninenounUS /naɪn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PresentlyadverbUS /ˈprezəntli/

in the near future

From this reading Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
puffedadjectiveUS /pʌft/

gathered for protruding fullness

From this reading “Hist!” breathed the Bancroft manager, as he puffed up the steps.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
quickstepping

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

From this reading Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.

Pending verification
recognizingverbUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪzɪŋ/

-ing form of “recognize” — accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority

From this reading “Well, here he is!” muttered Hutchinson, recognizing the heavy man as Riley.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RileynounUS /ˈraɪli/

United States poet (1849-1916)

From this reading “Well, here he is!” muttered Hutchinson, recognizing the heavy man as Riley.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SECRETnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

Velmora curated lexicon
slenderadjectiveUS /ˈslendər/

being of delicate or slender build

From this reading Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smokingnounUS /ˈsmoʊkɪŋ/

the act of smoking tobacco or other substances

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stepsnounUS /steps/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

Velmora curated lexicon
stoutadjectiveUS /staʊt/

dependable

From this reading Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

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 A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Presently two men, one stout and heavy, the other slender and quickstepping, came round the nearest corner, and hurried toward the steps.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading “Hist!” breathed the Bancroft manager, as he puffed up the steps.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
waitedverbUS /ˈweɪtɪd/

past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading A SECRET MEETING At nine o’clock that night, Bob Hutchinson, smoking, stood on the steps of the Central Hotel, in Kingsbridge, and waited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading “Well, here he is!” muttered Hutchinson, recognizing the heavy man as Riley.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wouldn't

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

From this reading “’Fraid you wouldn’t be here.

Pending verification
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “’Fraid you wouldn’t be here.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 18 of Lefty o' the bush by Burt L. Standish holds 136 sentences, grouped into 28 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 18 of Lefty o' the bush contain?

Chapter 18 holds 136 sentences of Lefty o' the bush, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of Lefty o' the bush by Burt L. Standish exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 136 sentences, grouped into 28 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 18 of Lefty o' the bush?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 Lefty o' the bush

Common questions about reading Lefty o' the bush by Burt L. Standish on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Lefty o' the bush?

Yes. All 3533 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72013 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Lefty o' the bush is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #72013, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Lefty o' the bush take to read?

About 294 minutes of reading across 707 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through Lefty o' the bush section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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Vocabulary met early in Lefty o' the bush

Words and structures a reader meets early in Lefty o' the bush, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lefty o' the bush; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lefty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lefty o' the bush; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
League
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lefty o' the bush; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stockings
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lefty o' the bush; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.