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Shadow Mountain
Shadow Mountain

Chapter XXX

Cover illustration for Shadow Mountain
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.
Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.
His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.
But the Colonel--did he know that his family had mourned him as dead, and bandied his stock back and forth?
Did he know that the Paymaster had been bonded and opened up, and lost again to Blount?
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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.

Shadow Mountain

Chapter XXX

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.
Line 2
Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.
Line 3
His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.
Line 4
But the Colonel--did he know that his family had mourned him as dead, and bandied his stock back and forth?
Line 5
Did he know that the Paymaster had been bonded and opened up, and lost again to Blount?

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Again noun US /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Did he know that the Paymaster had been bonded and opened up, and lost again to Blount?”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “Did he know that the Paymaster had been bonded and opened up, and lost again to Blount?”

Below preposition US /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading “Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.”

Beneath preposition US /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading “His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.”

Camp noun US /camp/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.”

Come noun US /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.”

Dead noun US /dead/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.”

Know noun US /know/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “But the Colonel--did he know that his family had mourned him as dead, and bandied his stock back and forth?”

All words in this reading · 80

Every word is available to listen to. 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 Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

absence

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

againnounUS /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Did he know that the Paymaster had been bonded and opened up, and lost again to Blount?

ANdeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading But the Colonel--did he know that his family had mourned him as dead, and bandied his stock back and forth?

back

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

From this reading But the Colonel--did he know that his family had mourned him as dead, and bandied his stock back and forth?

bandied

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

From this reading But the Colonel--did he know that his family had mourned him as dead, and bandied his stock back and forth?

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Did he know that the Paymaster had been bonded and opened up, and lost again to Blount?

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.

better

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

From this reading His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.

Blount

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

From this reading Did he know that the Paymaster had been bonded and opened up, and lost again to Blount?

bonded

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

From this reading Did he know that the Paymaster had been bonded and opened up, and lost again to Blount?

Borax

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

burro

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But the Colonel--did he know that his family had mourned him as dead, and bandied his stock back and forth?

camp

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

Colonel

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

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

comenounUS /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

crosscut

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

deadnounUS /dead/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

death

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

desperate

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading But the Colonel--did he know that his family had mourned him as dead, and bandied his stock back and forth?

dunes

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

From this reading His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.

easy

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

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

enough

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

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

EVENING

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

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

family

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

From this reading But the Colonel--did he know that his family had mourned him as dead, and bandied his stock back and forth?

followed

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

From this reading His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.

forth

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

From this reading But the Colonel--did he know that his family had mourned him as dead, and bandied his stock back and forth?

fugitive

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading But the Colonel--did he know that his family had mourned him as dead, and bandied his stock back and forth?

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

hobo

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

How

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

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

Indians

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

From this reading His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

knownounUS /know/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading But the Colonel--did he know that his family had mourned him as dead, and bandied his stock back and forth?

lay

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

From this reading His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.

lost

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

From this reading Did he know that the Paymaster had been bonded and opened up, and lost again to Blount?

man

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

From this reading His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.

met

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

miner

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

Mines

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

mourned

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

From this reading But the Colonel--did he know that his family had mourned him as dead, and bandied his stock back and forth?

now

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

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.

off

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

opened

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

From this reading Did he know that the Paymaster had been bonded and opened up, and lost again to Blount?

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

Paymaster

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

From this reading Did he know that the Paymaster had been bonded and opened up, and lost again to Blount?

place

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

From this reading His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.

raided

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

rambling

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

reported

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

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

riding

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

sand

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

From this reading His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.

sandstorm

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

seeking

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

SOCRATES

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

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

Some

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

From this reading Some desperate fugitive, or rambling hobo miner seeking a crosscut to the Borax Mines below, had raided his camp in his absence; and, riding off on his burro, had met his death in a sandstorm.

somewhere

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

From this reading His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.

stock

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

From this reading But the Colonel--did he know that his family had mourned him as dead, and bandied his stock back and forth?

surmise

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

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

tracks

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

From this reading His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.

up

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

From this reading Did he know that the Paymaster had been bonded and opened up, and lost again to Blount?

Valley

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

From this reading His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading His were the tracks that the Indians had followed and somewhere in Death Valley he lay beneath the sand dunes in place of a better man.

WITHprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading AN EVENING WITH SOCRATES How the Colonel had come to be reported dead it was easy enough now to surmise.