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The Backwoodsman
The Backwoodsman

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Backwoodsman is here in full — 283 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/56 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE COMANCHE CHIEF.
I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.
For some days we hardly left the fort, but enjoyed a rest.
Tiger tanned the skins we had brought home.
I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Backwoodsman

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Backwoodsman is here in full — 283 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/56 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE COMANCHE CHIEF.
/ðə kəˈmæntʃi tʃiːf/
Line 2
I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.
/aɪ felt ˈveri ˈkʌmfərtəbəl ɪn maɪ ˈprɪti haʊs ənd ˈtaɪɡər ˌɪnˈfɔːrmd miː wɪð ɡreɪt ˌsætəˈsfækʃən ðæt noʊ wʌn hæd bɪn ɪn hɪz tent ˈdʊrɪŋ ˈaʊər ˈæbsəns ɪn əˈkɔːrdəns wɪð ə ˈprɑːməs aɪ ɡeɪv hɪm wen wiː set aʊt/
Line 3
For some days we hardly left the fort, but enjoyed a rest.
/fɔːr sʌm deɪz wiː ˈhɑːrdli left ðə fɔːrt bʌt ˌenˈdʒɔɪd ə rest/
Line 4
Tiger tanned the skins we had brought home.
/ˈtaɪɡər tænd ðə skɪnz wiː hæd brɔːt hoʊm/
Line 5
I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.
/aɪ stʌft maɪ ˈkɑːndər æt wɪtʃ maɪ jʌŋ frend wɑːz ˈɡreɪtli əˈmeɪzd ənd ˈfɜːrmli dɪˈklerd ðæt aɪ rɪˈstɔːrd ðə bɜːrd tuː laɪf/

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.

accordance noun US /əˈkɔːrdəns/

concurrence of opinion

From this reading “I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.”

amazed adjective US /əˈmeɪzd/

filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock

From this reading “I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.”

comanche noun US /kəˈmæntʃi/

a member of the Shoshonean people who formerly lived between Wyoming and the Mexican border but are now chiefly in Oklahoma

From this reading “THE COMANCHE CHIEF.”

condor noun US /ˈkɑːndər/

the largest flying birds in the western hemisphere

From this reading “I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.”

skins noun US /skɪnz/

plural of “skin” — a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch

From this reading “Tiger tanned the skins we had brought home.”

stuffed adjective US /stʌft/

filled with something

From this reading “I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.”

tanned adjective US /tænd/

(of skin) having a tan color from exposure to the sun

From this reading “Tiger tanned the skins we had brought home.”

Tiger noun US /ˈtaɪɡər/

a fierce or audacious person

From this reading “I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.”

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.

in accordance preposition + noun

In this reading “I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.”

great satisfaction adjective + noun

In this reading “I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.”

set out verb + adjective

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

In this reading “I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.”

brought home verb + noun counted as “bring home”

make understandable and clear

In this reading “Tiger tanned the skins we had brought home.”

young friend adjective + noun

In this reading “I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.”

some days adjective + noun

In this reading “For some days we hardly left the fort, but enjoyed a rest.”

felt very verb + adjective

In this reading “I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.”

All words in this reading · 65

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 I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

absencenounUS /ˈæbsəns/

the state of being absent

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

accordancenounUS /əˈkɔːrdəns/

concurrence of opinion

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

amazedadjectiveUS /əˈmeɪzd/

filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock

From this reading I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

birdnounUS /bɜːrd/

warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading Tiger tanned the skins we had brought home.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading For some days we hardly left the fort, but enjoyed a rest.

CHIEFnounUS /tʃiːf/

a person who is in charge

From this reading THE COMANCHE CHIEF.

COMANCHEnounUS /kəˈmæntʃi/

a member of the Shoshonean people who formerly lived between Wyoming and the Mexican border but are now chiefly in Oklahoma

From this reading THE COMANCHE CHIEF.

comfortableadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmfərtəbəl/

providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

condornounUS /ˈkɑːndər/

the largest flying birds in the western hemisphere

From this reading I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading For some days we hardly left the fort, but enjoyed a rest.

declaredadjectiveUS /dɪˈklerd/

made known or openly avowed

From this reading I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

enjoyedverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪd/

past form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

From this reading For some days we hardly left the fort, but enjoyed a rest.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

firmlyadverbUS /ˈfɜːrmli/

with resolute determination

From this reading I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For some days we hardly left the fort, but enjoyed a rest.

fortnounUS /fɔːrt/

a fortified military post where troops are stationed

From this reading For some days we hardly left the fort, but enjoyed a rest.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

greatlyadverbUS /ˈɡreɪtli/

to an extraordinary extent or degree

From this reading I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

From this reading For some days we hardly left the fort, but enjoyed a rest.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Tiger tanned the skins we had brought home.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

informedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈfɔːrmd/

having much knowledge or education

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

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 For some days we hardly left the fort, but enjoyed a rest.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

prettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

promiseverbUS /ˈprɑːməs/

make a promise or commitment

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading For some days we hardly left the fort, but enjoyed a rest.

restoredverbUS /rɪˈstɔːrd/

past form of “restore” — return to its original or usable and functioning condition

From this reading I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.

satisfactionnounUS /ˌsætəˈsfækʃən/

the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

skinsnounUS /skɪnz/

plural of “skin” — a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch

From this reading Tiger tanned the skins we had brought home.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading For some days we hardly left the fort, but enjoyed a rest.

stuffedadjectiveUS /stʌft/

filled with something

From this reading I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.

tannedadjectiveUS /tænd/

(of skin) having a tan color from exposure to the sun

From this reading Tiger tanned the skins we had brought home.

tentnounUS /tent/

a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE COMANCHE CHIEF.

TigernounUS /ˈtaɪɡər/

a fierce or audacious person

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I felt very comfortable in my pretty house, and Tiger informed me with great satisfaction that no one had been in his tent during our absence, in accordance with a promise I gave him when we set out.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading I stuffed my condor, at which my young friend was greatly amazed, and firmly declared that I restored the bird to life.

Chapter 17 of The Backwoodsman by Lascelles, Sir [Editor] Wraxall holds 283 sentences, grouped into 57 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 17 of The Backwoodsman contain?

Chapter 17 holds 283 sentences of The Backwoodsman, unabridged, divided into 57 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Backwoodsman by Lascelles, Sir [Editor] Wraxall exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 283 sentences, grouped into 57 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 17 of The Backwoodsman?

Work through the 57 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 57 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Backwoodsman

Common questions about reading The Backwoodsman by Lascelles, Sir [Editor] Wraxall on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Backwoodsman?

Yes. All 5072 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37100 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Backwoodsman is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37100, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Backwoodsman take to read?

About 422 minutes of reading across 1015 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Backwoodsman section by section

How to work through The Backwoodsman section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 30 chapters of The Backwoodsman 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 Backwoodsman

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Backwoodsman, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Backwoodsman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Backwoodsman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Indian
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Backwoodsman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Frontier
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Backwoodsman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edited
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Backwoodsman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.