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Over the Sliprails
Over the Sliprails

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Over the Sliprails is here in full — 201 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Over the Sliprails
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“'Arder in the car-rt!'
The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.
It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.
But I've found out since then that the law is often the only one that knows it's barking up the wrong tree.”
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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.

Over the Sliprails

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Over the Sliprails is here in full — 201 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“'Arder in the car-rt!'
Line 2
The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.
Line 3
It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.
/ɪt ɡeɪv miː ə lɑːt ʌv ˈkɑːnfədəns ɪn ˌmaɪˈself tuː siː ðə lɔː ʌv ðə lænd ˈbɑːrkɪŋ ʌp ðə rɔːŋ triː waɪl ˈoʊnli aɪ ənd ðə ˈdɑːktər ənd ðə ˈprɪzənər nuː ɪt/
Line 4
But I've found out since then that the law is often the only one that knows it's barking up the wrong tree.”
Line 5

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.

barking verb US /ˈbɑːrkɪŋ/

-ing form of “bark” — speak in an unfriendly tone

From this reading ““It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.”

burglary noun US /ˈbɜːrɡləri/

entering a building unlawfully with intent to commit a felony or to steal valuable property

From this reading ““The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.”

confidence noun US /ˈkɑːnfədəns/

freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading ““It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.”

girl's noun US /ɡɜːrlz/

possessive form of “girl” — a young female

From this reading ““The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.”

lot noun US /lɑːt/

(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent

From this reading ““It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.”

prisoner noun US /ˈprɪzənər/

a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading ““It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.”

respectable adjective US /rɪˈspektəbəl/

characterized by socially or conventionally acceptable morals

From this reading ““The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.”

sorrow noun US /ˈsɑːroʊ/

an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading ““The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.”

All words in this reading · 57

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 “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

accountnounUS /əˈkaʊnt/

a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

Arder

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

From this reading “'Arder in the car-rt!'

barkingverbUS /ˈbɑːrkɪŋ/

-ing form of “bark” — speak in an unfriendly tone

From this reading “It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

burglarynounUS /ˈbɜːrɡləri/

entering a building unlawfully with intent to commit a felony or to steal valuable property

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But I've found out since then that the law is often the only one that knows it's barking up the wrong tree.”

car-rt

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

From this reading “'Arder in the car-rt!'

causenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

confidencenounUS /ˈkɑːnfədəns/

freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading “It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

DoctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading “It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.

DrewnounUS /druː/

United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading But I've found out since then that the law is often the only one that knows it's barking up the wrong tree.”

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

girl'snounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

possessive form of “girl” — a young female

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.

I've

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

From this reading But I've found out since then that the law is often the only one that knows it's barking up the wrong tree.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “'Arder in the car-rt!'

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading But I've found out since then that the law is often the only one that knows it's barking up the wrong tree.”

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

it's

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

From this reading But I've found out since then that the law is often the only one that knows it's barking up the wrong tree.”

judgeverbUS /dʒʌdʒ/

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading “It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.

knowsnounUS /noʊz/

plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people

From this reading But I've found out since then that the law is often the only one that knows it's barking up the wrong tree.”

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading “It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.

lawnounUS /lɔː/

the collection of rules imposed by authority

From this reading “It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.

lotnounUS /lɑːt/

(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent

From this reading “It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading “It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading “It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading But I've found out since then that the law is often the only one that knows it's barking up the wrong tree.”

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading But I've found out since then that the law is often the only one that knows it's barking up the wrong tree.”

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading “It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading But I've found out since then that the law is often the only one that knows it's barking up the wrong tree.”

prisonernounUS /ˈprɪzənər/

a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading “It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.

red-hotadjective

having strong sexual appeal

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

respectableadjectiveUS /rɪˈspektəbəl/

characterized by socially or conventionally acceptable morals

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading “It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading But I've found out since then that the law is often the only one that knows it's barking up the wrong tree.”

sorrownounUS /ˈsɑːroʊ/

an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But I've found out since then that the law is often the only one that knows it's barking up the wrong tree.”

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “'Arder in the car-rt!'

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

treenounUS /triː/

a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading “It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading “It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading “It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.

wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading “It gave me a lot of confidence in myself to see the law of the land barking up the wrong tree, while only I and the Doctor and the prisoner knew it.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading “The judge gave it to Drew red-hot on account of the burglary being the cause of the girl's death and the sorrow in a respectable family; then he gave him five years' hard.

Chapter 5 of Over the Sliprails by Henry Lawson holds 201 sentences, grouped into 41 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 5 of Over the Sliprails contain?

Chapter 5 holds 201 sentences of Over the Sliprails, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Over the Sliprails by Henry Lawson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 201 sentences, grouped into 41 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 5 of Over the Sliprails?

Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 41 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Over the Sliprails

Common questions about reading Over the Sliprails by Henry Lawson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Over the Sliprails?

Yes. All 2582 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1313 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Over the Sliprails is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1313, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Over the Sliprails take to read?

About 215 minutes of reading across 517 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Over the Sliprails section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of Over the Sliprails 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 Over the Sliprails

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

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Over the Sliprails; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
While
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Over the Sliprails; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Billy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Over the Sliprails; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Boils
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Over the Sliprails; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.