Chapter 14 of The Big-Town Round-Up is here in full — 191 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of The Big-Town Round-Up is here in full — 191 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead. His exploring feet found each tread of the ladder with the utmost caution. Near the foot of it he stopped to listen for any sound that might serve to guide him. None came. The passage was as noiseless as it was dark.
Chapter 14 of The Big-Town Round-Up is here in full — 191 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/38 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
the trait of being cautious; being attentive to possible danger
From this reading “His exploring feet found each tread of the ladder with the utmost caution.”
a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired
From this reading “STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead.”
past form of “engulf” — devote (oneself) fully to
From this reading “STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead.”
-ing form of “explore” — inquire into
From this reading “His exploring feet found each tread of the ladder with the utmost caution.”
steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading “His exploring feet found each tread of the ladder with the utmost caution.”
above your head; in the sky
From this reading “STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead.”
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading “STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead.”
put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading “His exploring feet found each tread of the ladder with the utmost caution.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Near the foot of it he stopped to listen for any sound that might serve to guide him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading None came.
the trait of being cautious; being attentive to possible danger
From this reading His exploring feet found each tread of the ladder with the utmost caution.
a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired
From this reading STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The passage was as noiseless as it was dark.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading His exploring feet found each tread of the ladder with the utmost caution.
past form of “engulf” — devote (oneself) fully to
From this reading STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead.
-ing form of “explore” — inquire into
From this reading His exploring feet found each tread of the ladder with the utmost caution.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading His exploring feet found each tread of the ladder with the utmost caution.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Near the foot of it he stopped to listen for any sound that might serve to guide him.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Near the foot of it he stopped to listen for any sound that might serve to guide him.
set up or found
From this reading His exploring feet found each tread of the ladder with the utmost caution.
someone employed to conduct others
From this reading Near the foot of it he stopped to listen for any sound that might serve to guide him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Near the foot of it he stopped to listen for any sound that might serve to guide him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His exploring feet found each tread of the ladder with the utmost caution.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Near the foot of it he stopped to listen for any sound that might serve to guide him.
steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading His exploring feet found each tread of the ladder with the utmost caution.
hear with intention
From this reading Near the foot of it he stopped to listen for any sound that might serve to guide him.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Near the foot of it he stopped to listen for any sound that might serve to guide him.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading Near the foot of it he stopped to listen for any sound that might serve to guide him.
making no sound
From this reading The passage was as noiseless as it was dark.
not one, and not any
From this reading None came.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading His exploring feet found each tread of the ladder with the utmost caution.
above your head; in the sky
From this reading STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead.
the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading The passage was as noiseless as it was dark.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead.
serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading Near the foot of it he stopped to listen for any sound that might serve to guide him.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Near the foot of it he stopped to listen for any sound that might serve to guide him.
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading Near the foot of it he stopped to listen for any sound that might serve to guide him.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Near the foot of it he stopped to listen for any sound that might serve to guide him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Near the foot of it he stopped to listen for any sound that might serve to guide him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading STARRING AS A SECOND-STORY MAN Darkness engulfed Clay as he closed the trapdoor overhead.
put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading His exploring feet found each tread of the ladder with the utmost caution.
of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity
From this reading His exploring feet found each tread of the ladder with the utmost caution.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The passage was as noiseless as it was dark.
in the company of; together with
From this reading His exploring feet found each tread of the ladder with the utmost caution.
Chapter 14 of The Big-Town Round-Up by William MacLeod Raine holds 191 sentences, grouped into 39 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.
Chapter 14 holds 191 sentences of The Big-Town Round-Up, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of The Big-Town Round-Up by William MacLeod Raine exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 191 sentences, grouped into 39 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.
Work through the 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 39 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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.
Common questions about reading The Big-Town Round-Up by William MacLeod Raine on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6449 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17205 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #17205, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 537 minutes of reading across 1290 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Big-Town Round-Up section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Big-Town Round-Up to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Big-Town Round-Up, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
