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Sun Dog loot
Sun Dog loot

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Sun Dog loot is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Sun Dog loot
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Author of Just For a Laugh,” Rustler’s Roost,” etc.
Brick Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.
Brick was of medium height, with a thin, freckled face and red hair.
It was red hairnot auburn at all; red hair, the color of a new brick.
His mouth was wide, his eyes blue and ears rather prominent.
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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.

Sun Dog loot

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Sun Dog loot is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Author ofJust For a Laugh,” “Rustler’s Roost,” etc.
Line 2
BrickDavidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.
Line 3
Brick was of medium height, with a thin, freckled face and red hair.
/brɪk wɑːz ʌv ˈmiːdiəm haɪt wɪð ə θɪn ˈfrekəld feɪs ənd red her/
Line 4
It was red hairnot auburn at all; red hair, the color of a new brick.
Line 5
His mouth was wide, his eyes blue and ears rather prominent.
/hɪz maʊθ wɑːz waɪd hɪz aɪz bluː ənd ɪrz ˈræðər ˈprɑːmənənt/

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.

auburn adjective US /ˈɑːbərn/

(of hair) colored a moderate reddish-brown

From this reading “It was red hair—not auburn at all; red hair, the color of a new brick.”

freckled adjective US /ˈfrekəld/

relating to or covered with or resembling freckles

From this reading “Brick was of medium height, with a thin, freckled face and red hair.”

hooked adjective US /hʊkt/

curved down like an eagle's beak

From this reading ““Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.”

medium noun US /ˈmiːdiəm/

a means or instrumentality for storing or communicating information

From this reading “Brick was of medium height, with a thin, freckled face and red hair.”

prominent adjective US /ˈprɑːmənənt/

having a quality that thrusts itself into attention

From this reading “His mouth was wide, his eyes blue and ears rather prominent.”

Roost verb US /ruːst/

sit, as on a branch

From this reading “Author of “Just For a Laugh,” “Rustler’s Roost,” etc.”

shifted verb US /ˈʃɪftɪd/

past form of “shift” — make a shift in or exchange of

From this reading ““Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.”

spurred verb US /spɜːrd/

inflected form of “spur” — incite or stimulate

From this reading ““Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.”

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.

medium height noun + noun

In this reading “Brick was of medium height, with a thin, freckled face and red hair.”

freckled face adjective + noun

In this reading “Brick was of medium height, with a thin, freckled face and red hair.”

red hair noun + noun

In this reading “Brick was of medium height, with a thin, freckled face and red hair.”

over the edge preposition + article + noun counted as “over … edge”

In this reading ““Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.”

All words in this reading · 55

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 Author of “Just For a Laugh,” “Rustler’s Roost,” etc.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading It was red hair—not auburn at all; red hair, the color of a new brick.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It was red hair—not auburn at all; red hair, the color of a new brick.

auburnadjectiveUS /ˈɑːbərn/

(of hair) colored a moderate reddish-brown

From this reading It was red hair—not auburn at all; red hair, the color of a new brick.

AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading Author of “Just For a Laugh,” “Rustler’s Roost,” etc.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading His mouth was wide, his eyes blue and ears rather prominent.

BricknounUS /brɪk/

rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

cigaretnoun

finely ground tobacco wrapped in paper; for smoking

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

colornounUS /ˈkʌlər/

a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect

From this reading It was red hair—not auburn at all; red hair, the color of a new brick.

Davidson

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

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

desknounUS /desk/

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

earsnounUS /ɪrz/

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading His mouth was wide, his eyes blue and ears rather prominent.

edgenounUS /edʒ/

the boundary of a surface

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

etc

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

From this reading Author of “Just For a Laugh,” “Rustler’s Roost,” etc.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Brick was of medium height, with a thin, freckled face and red hair.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Author of “Just For a Laugh,” “Rustler’s Roost,” etc.

freckledadjectiveUS /ˈfrekəld/

relating to or covered with or resembling freckles

From this reading Brick was of medium height, with a thin, freckled face and red hair.

hairnounUS /her/

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading Brick was of medium height, with a thin, freckled face and red hair.

half-shut

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

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

heelsnounUS /hiːlz/

plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

heightnounUS /haɪt/

the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top

From this reading Brick was of medium height, with a thin, freckled face and red hair.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

hookedadjectiveUS /hʊkt/

curved down like an eagle's beak

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was red hair—not auburn at all; red hair, the color of a new brick.

JustadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Author of “Just For a Laugh,” “Rustler’s Roost,” etc.

LaughnounUS /læf/

the sound of laughing

From this reading Author of “Just For a Laugh,” “Rustler’s Roost,” etc.

mediumnounUS /ˈmiːdiəm/

a means or instrumentality for storing or communicating information

From this reading Brick was of medium height, with a thin, freckled face and red hair.

mouthnounUS /maʊθ/

the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

From this reading His mouth was wide, his eyes blue and ears rather prominent.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading It was red hair—not auburn at all; red hair, the color of a new brick.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It was red hair—not auburn at all; red hair, the color of a new brick.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Author of “Just For a Laugh,” “Rustler’s Roost,” etc.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

positionnounUS /pəˈzɪʃən/

the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

prominentadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːmənənt/

having a quality that thrusts itself into attention

From this reading His mouth was wide, his eyes blue and ears rather prominent.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading His mouth was wide, his eyes blue and ears rather prominent.

rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading Brick was of medium height, with a thin, freckled face and red hair.

rollingadjectiveUS /ˈroʊlɪŋ/

uttered with a trill

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

RoostverbUS /ruːst/

sit, as on a branch

From this reading Author of “Just For a Laugh,” “Rustler’s Roost,” etc.

Rustler's

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

From this reading Author of “Just For a Laugh,” “Rustler’s Roost,” etc.

shiftedverbUS /ˈʃɪftɪd/

past form of “shift” — make a shift in or exchange of

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

slightlyadverbUS /ˈslaɪtli/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

spurredverbUS /spɜːrd/

inflected form of “spur” — incite or stimulate

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

thinadjectiveUS /θɪn/

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading Brick was of medium height, with a thin, freckled face and red hair.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading “Brick” Davidson hooked his spurred heels over the edge of his desk, shifted his position slightly and began rolling a cigaret, his eyes half-shut, as if deep in thought.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Brick was of medium height, with a thin, freckled face and red hair.

wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading His mouth was wide, his eyes blue and ears rather prominent.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Brick was of medium height, with a thin, freckled face and red hair.

Chapter 1 of Sun Dog loot by W. C. (Wilbur C.) Tuttle holds 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 1 of Sun Dog loot contain?

Chapter 1 holds 408 sentences of Sun Dog loot, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Sun Dog loot by W. C. (Wilbur C.) Tuttle exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 1 of Sun Dog loot?

Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 82 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Sun Dog loot

Common questions about reading Sun Dog loot by W. C. (Wilbur C.) Tuttle on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Sun Dog loot?

Yes. All 4066 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75347 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Sun Dog loot is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #75347, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Sun Dog loot take to read?

About 338 minutes of reading across 814 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Sun Dog loot section by section

How to work through Sun Dog loot section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of Sun Dog loot 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 Sun Dog loot

Words and structures a reader meets early in Sun Dog loot, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sun Dog loot; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Laugh
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sun Dog loot; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rustler
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sun Dog loot; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Roost
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sun Dog loot; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.