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andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/
any thing at all
From this reading And instead of learning anything definitely now he was merely the more perplexed.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
BIG
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From this reading THE RANCH ON BIG LITTLE RIVER Buck Thornton had returned to the Poison Hole ranch.
Buck
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From this reading THE RANCH ON BIG LITTLE RIVER Buck Thornton had returned to the Poison Hole ranch.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
cabin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When he had found nothing he went, he hardly knew why, to the cabin, pushed the door open and entered.
careful
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Further, he had sought for tracks to tell him from where this man had come, where he had gone.
definitely
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From this reading And instead of learning anything definitely now he was merely the more perplexed.
door
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From this reading When he had found nothing he went, he hardly knew why, to the cabin, pushed the door open and entered.
down
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
entered
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From this reading When he had found nothing he went, he hardly knew why, to the cabin, pushed the door open and entered.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
foundnounUS /found/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When he had found nothing he went, he hardly knew why, to the cabin, pushed the door open and entered.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
Further
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From this reading Further, he had sought for tracks to tell him from where this man had come, where he had gone.
gained
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
gone
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From this reading Further, he had sought for tracks to tell him from where this man had come, where he had gone.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE RANCH ON BIG LITTLE RIVER Buck Thornton had returned to the Poison Hole ranch.
hardly
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From this reading When he had found nothing he went, he hardly knew why, to the cabin, pushed the door open and entered.
Harte's
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
Hole
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From this reading THE RANCH ON BIG LITTLE RIVER Buck Thornton had returned to the Poison Hole ranch.
horse
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
instead
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From this reading And instead of learning anything definitely now he was merely the more perplexed.
knew
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From this reading When he had found nothing he went, he hardly knew why, to the cabin, pushed the door open and entered.
lamed
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
learning
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From this reading And instead of learning anything definitely now he was merely the more perplexed.
LITTLEnounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading THE RANCH ON BIG LITTLE RIVER Buck Thornton had returned to the Poison Hole ranch.
made
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
maliciously
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
man
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
merely
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From this reading And instead of learning anything definitely now he was merely the more perplexed.
more
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From this reading And instead of learning anything definitely now he was merely the more perplexed.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading When he had found nothing he went, he hardly knew why, to the cabin, pushed the door open and entered.
now
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From this reading And instead of learning anything definitely now he was merely the more perplexed.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And instead of learning anything definitely now he was merely the more perplexed.
ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE RANCH ON BIG LITTLE RIVER Buck Thornton had returned to the Poison Hole ranch.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading When he had found nothing he went, he hardly knew why, to the cabin, pushed the door open and entered.
perplexed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And instead of learning anything definitely now he was merely the more perplexed.
place
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
Poison
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE RANCH ON BIG LITTLE RIVER Buck Thornton had returned to the Poison Hole ranch.
purpose
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
pushed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When he had found nothing he went, he hardly knew why, to the cabin, pushed the door open and entered.
RANCH
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From this reading THE RANCH ON BIG LITTLE RIVER Buck Thornton had returned to the Poison Hole ranch.
returnednounUS /ˈreturned/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading THE RANCH ON BIG LITTLE RIVER Buck Thornton had returned to the Poison Hole ranch.
ridden
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
RIVER
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE RANCH ON BIG LITTLE RIVER Buck Thornton had returned to the Poison Hole ranch.
search
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
seemingly
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
sign
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
Smith
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
some
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
sought
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Further, he had sought for tracks to tell him from where this man had come, where he had gone.
swift
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From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
tellnounUS /tell/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE RANCH ON BIG LITTLE RIVER Buck Thornton had returned to the Poison Hole ranch.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Further, he had sought for tracks to tell him from where this man had come, where he had gone.
Thornton
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE RANCH ON BIG LITTLE RIVER Buck Thornton had returned to the Poison Hole ranch.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE RANCH ON BIG LITTLE RIVER Buck Thornton had returned to the Poison Hole ranch.
tracks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Further, he had sought for tracks to tell him from where this man had come, where he had gone.
trail
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
wentnounUS /went/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When he had found nothing he went, he hardly knew why, to the cabin, pushed the door open and entered.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When he had found nothing he went, he hardly knew why, to the cabin, pushed the door open and entered.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.
why
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When he had found nothing he went, he hardly knew why, to the cabin, pushed the door open and entered.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading But first he had ridden from the Smith place down the trail to Harte's, where he made swift, careful search for some sign to tell him who was the man who had lamed his horse maliciously and seemingly with no purpose to be gained.