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The Auto Boys' Mystery
The Auto Boys' Mystery

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of The Auto Boys' Mystery is here in full — 90 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/18 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
WAS THIS THE END OF MURKY?
When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.
In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.
Murky recalled that when he had at first entered he had seen two bags.
One was the bag containing the money.
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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.

The Auto Boys' Mystery

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of The Auto Boys' Mystery is here in full — 90 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/18 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
WAS THIS THE END OF MURKY?
/wɑːz ðɪs ðə end ʌv ˈmɜːrki/
Line 2
When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.
Line 3
In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.
Line 4
Murky recalled that when he had at first entered he had seen two bags.
/ˈmɜːrki rɪˈkɔːld ðæt wen hiː hæd æt fɜːrst ˈentərd hiː hæd siːn tuː bæɡz/
Line 5
One was the bag containing the money.
/wʌn wɑːz ðə bæɡ kənˈteɪnɪŋ ðə ˈmʌni/

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.

bags noun US /bæɡz/

plural of “bag” — a flexible container with a single opening

From this reading “Murky recalled that when he had at first entered he had seen two bags.”

doubtful adjective US /ˈdaʊtfəl/

open to doubt or suspicion

From this reading “When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.”

heaved verb US /hiːvd/

past form of “heave” — utter a sound, as with obvious effort

From this reading “In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.”

hurled verb US /hɜːrld/

past form of “hurl” — throw forcefully

From this reading “When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.”

murky adjective US /ˈmɜːrki/

(of liquids) clouded as with sediment

From this reading “WAS THIS THE END OF MURKY?”

resource noun US /ˈriːsɔːrs/

available source of wealth; a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed

From this reading “When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.”

stumbled verb US /ˈstʌmbəld/

past form of “stumble” — walk unsteadily

From this reading “In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.”

water's noun US /ˈwɔːtərz/

possessive form of “water” — binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading “In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.”

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.

water's edge noun + noun counted as “water edge”

In this reading “In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.”

stumbled over verb + particle counted as “stumble over”

In this reading “In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.”

bedroom door noun + noun

In this reading “When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.”

All words in this reading · 63

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Murky recalled that when he had at first entered he had seen two bags.

bagnounUS /bæɡ/

a flexible container with a single opening

From this reading One was the bag containing the money.

bagsnounUS /bæɡz/

plural of “bag” — a flexible container with a single opening

From this reading Murky recalled that when he had at first entered he had seen two bags.

bedroomnounUS /ˈbedruːm/

a room used primarily for sleeping

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/

on the far side of; further than

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

briefadjectiveUS /briːf/

of short duration or distance

From this reading In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.

burningnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of burning something

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

containingverbUS /kənˈteɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “contain” — include or contain; have as a component

From this reading One was the bag containing the money.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

doubtfuladjectiveUS /ˈdaʊtfəl/

open to doubt or suspicion

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

draggedverbUS /dræɡd/

inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

edgenounUS /edʒ/

the boundary of a surface

From this reading In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.

ENDnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading WAS THIS THE END OF MURKY?

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading Murky recalled that when he had at first entered he had seen two bags.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Murky recalled that when he had at first entered he had seen two bags.

flamesnounUS /fleɪmz/

plural of “flame” — the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

Grandall

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

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

heavedverbUS /hiːvd/

past form of “heave” — utter a sound, as with obvious effort

From this reading In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.

hurledverbUS /hɜːrld/

past form of “hurl” — throw forcefully

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.

insideadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

latteradjectiveUS /ˈlætər/

referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading One was the bag containing the money.

MURKYadjectiveUS /ˈmɜːrki/

(of liquids) clouded as with sediment

From this reading WAS THIS THE END OF MURKY?

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading WAS THIS THE END OF MURKY?

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.

recalledverbUS /rɪˈkɔːld/

past form of “recall” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading Murky recalled that when he had at first entered he had seen two bags.

resourcenounUS /ˈriːsɔːrs/

available source of wealth; a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Murky recalled that when he had at first entered he had seen two bags.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

struggleverbUS /ˈstrʌɡəl/

make a strenuous or labored effort

From this reading In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.

strugglingadjectiveUS /ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ/

engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

stumbledverbUS /ˈstʌmbəld/

past form of “stumble” — walk unsteadily

From this reading In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.

suit-case

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

From this reading In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading WAS THIS THE END OF MURKY?

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.

THISdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading WAS THIS THE END OF MURKY?

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

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

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Murky recalled that when he had at first entered he had seen two bags.

WASauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading WAS THIS THE END OF MURKY?

water'snounUS /ˈwɔːtərz/

possessive form of “water” — binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading In the brief struggle they had stumbled over another suit-case than the one Grandall had heaved to the water's edge.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading When the still struggling Grandall was dragged inside by Murky and hurled through the burning bedroom door into the flames beyond, the latter had one resource left, though it is doubtful if he would have thought of that but for one fact.

Chapter 12 of The Auto Boys' Mystery by James A. (James Andrew) Braden holds 90 sentences, grouped into 18 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 12 of The Auto Boys' Mystery contain?

Chapter 12 holds 90 sentences of The Auto Boys' Mystery, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of The Auto Boys' Mystery by James A. (James Andrew) Braden exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 90 sentences, grouped into 18 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 12 of The Auto Boys' Mystery?

Work through the 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 18 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 The Auto Boys' Mystery

Common questions about reading The Auto Boys' Mystery by James A. (James Andrew) Braden on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Auto Boys' Mystery?

Yes. All 2492 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32742 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Auto Boys' Mystery is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #32742, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Auto Boys' Mystery take to read?

About 207 minutes of reading across 499 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Auto Boys' Mystery section by section

How to work through The Auto Boys' Mystery section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of The Auto Boys' Mystery 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 The Auto Boys' Mystery

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Auto Boys' Mystery, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Boys'
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Auto Boys' Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Adventure
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Auto Boys' Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Frontier
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Auto Boys' Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Camped
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Auto Boys' Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.