Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story
Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story

Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

Chapter 28 of Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By William MacLeod Raine • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story
Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.
But he was now convinced that he had told the truth.
James had been there, and his brother Jack knew it.
The confession had been written in his shocked face when Kirby flung out the charge.
But James might have been there and still be innocent, just as was the case with him and Rose.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story

Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

Chapter 28 of Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.
Line 2
But he was now convinced that he had told the truth.
/bʌt hiː wɑːz naʊ kənˈvɪnst ðæt hiː hæd toʊld ðə truːθ/
Line 3
James had been there, and his brother Jack knew it.
/dʒeɪmz hæd bɪn ðer ənd hɪz ˈbrʌðər dʒæk nuː ɪt/
Line 4
The confession had been written in his shocked face when Kirby flung out the charge.
Line 5
But James might have been there and still be innocent, just as was the case with him and Rose.
/bʌt dʒeɪmz maɪt hæv bɪn ðer ənd stɪl biː ˈɪnəsənt dʒʌst æz wɑːz ðə keɪs wɪð hɪm ənd roʊz/

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.

bluffing verb US /ˈblʌfɪŋ/

-ing form of “bluff” — deceive an opponent by a bold bet on an inferior hand with the result that the opponent withdraws a winning hand

From this reading “KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
confession noun US /kənˈfeʃən/

an admission of misdeeds or faults

From this reading “The confession had been written in his shocked face when Kirby flung out the charge.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
convinced adjective US /kənˈvɪnst/

persuaded of; very sure

From this reading “But he was now convinced that he had told the truth.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
evidence noun US /ˈevədəns/

your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief

From this reading “KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
flung verb US /flʌŋ/

inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness

From this reading “The confession had been written in his shocked face when Kirby flung out the charge.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
murder verb US /ˈmɜːrdər/

kill intentionally and with premeditation

From this reading “KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shocked adjective US /ʃɑːkt/

struck with fear, dread, or consternation

From this reading “The confession had been written in his shocked face when Kirby flung out the charge.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uncle's noun US /ˈʌŋkəlz/

possessive form of “uncle” — the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading “KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 54

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 KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading James had been there, and his brother Jack knew it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading But James might have been there and still be innocent, just as was the case with him and Rose.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading But James might have been there and still be innocent, just as was the case with him and Rose.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bluffingverbUS /ˈblʌfɪŋ/

-ing form of “bluff” — deceive an opponent by a bold bet on an inferior hand with the result that the opponent withdraws a winning hand

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading James had been there, and his brother Jack knew it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But he was now convinced that he had told the truth.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
CALLverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
casenounUS /keɪs/

an occurrence of something

From this reading But James might have been there and still be innocent, just as was the case with him and Rose.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chargeverbUS /tʃɑːrdʒ/

to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle

From this reading The confession had been written in his shocked face when Kirby flung out the charge.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
confessionnounUS /kənˈfeʃən/

an admission of misdeeds or faults

From this reading The confession had been written in his shocked face when Kirby flung out the charge.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
convincedadjectiveUS /kənˈvɪnst/

persuaded of; very sure

From this reading But he was now convinced that he had told the truth.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
evidencenounUS /ˈevədəns/

your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
facenounUS /feɪs/

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

From this reading The confession had been written in his shocked face when Kirby flung out the charge.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
flungverbUS /flʌŋ/

inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness

From this reading The confession had been written in his shocked face when Kirby flung out the charge.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading But James might have been there and still be innocent, just as was the case with him and Rose.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading But James might have been there and still be innocent, just as was the case with him and Rose.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
innocentadjectiveUS /ˈɪnəsənt/

free from evil or guilt

From this reading But James might have been there and still be innocent, just as was the case with him and Rose.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading James had been there, and his brother Jack knew it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JacknounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

From this reading James had been there, and his brother Jack knew it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
JamesnounUS /dʒeɪmz/

a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading But James might have been there and still be innocent, just as was the case with him and Rose.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
KIRBY

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

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

Pending verification
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 James had been there, and his brother Jack knew it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MAKESnounUS /meɪks/

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading But James might have been there and still be innocent, just as was the case with him and Rose.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
murderverbUS /ˈmɜːrdər/

kill intentionally and with premeditation

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading But he was now convinced that he had told the truth.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The confession had been written in his shocked face when Kirby flung out the charge.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
proveverbUS /pruːv/

be shown or be found to be

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roomsnounUS /ruːmz/

apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RosenounUS /roʊz/

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading But James might have been there and still be innocent, just as was the case with him and Rose.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shockedadjectiveUS /ʃɑːkt/

struck with fear, dread, or consternation

From this reading The confession had been written in his shocked face when Kirby flung out the charge.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading But James might have been there and still be innocent, just as was the case with him and Rose.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

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 KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading James had been there, and his brother Jack knew it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading But he was now convinced that he had told the truth.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
truthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

From this reading But he was now convinced that he had told the truth.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uncle'snounUS /ˈʌŋkəlz/

possessive form of “uncle” — the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading KIRBY MAKES A CALL Kirby had been bluffing when he said he had evidence to prove that James was in his uncle's rooms the very hour of the murder.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading But James might have been there and still be innocent, just as was the case with him and Rose.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading The confession had been written in his shocked face when Kirby flung out the charge.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 28 of Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story by William MacLeod Raine holds 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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 28 of Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story contain?

Chapter 28 holds 145 sentences of Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 28 of Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story by William MacLeod Raine exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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 28 of Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 28 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 28 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 Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story

Common questions about reading Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story by William MacLeod Raine on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story?

Yes. All 6325 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17066 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #17066, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story take to read?

About 527 minutes of reading across 1265 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story section by section

How to work through Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story 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 Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Shouted
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Announcer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Through
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Megaphone
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.