Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Border Boys on the Trail
The Border Boys on the Trail

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Border Boys on the Trail is here in full — 155 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By John Henry Goldfrap • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Border Boys on the Trail
Context Illustration Reading 1/31 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ON THE BORDER.
"Maguez!
Maguez!"
The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.
Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.
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.

The Border Boys on the Trail

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Border Boys on the Trail is here in full — 155 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ON THE BORDER.
/ɑːn ðə ˈbɔːrdər/
Line 2
"Maguez!
Line 3
Maguez!"
Line 4
The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.
Line 5
Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

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.

continent noun US /ˈkɑːntənənt/

one of the large landmasses of the earth

From this reading “Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
frontier noun US /frənˈtɪr/

a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country

From this reading “The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mexican noun US /ˈmeksəkən/

a native or inhabitant of Mexico

From this reading “The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mexico noun US /ˈmeksəkoʊ/

a republic in southern North America; became independent from Spain in 1810

From this reading “The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Pacific noun US /pəˈsɪfɪk/

the largest ocean in the world

From this reading “Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
southwest noun US /ˌsaʊˈθwest/

the compass point midway between south and west; at 225 degrees

From this reading “The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tarry verb US /ˈteri/

be about

From this reading “Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
trainmen noun US /ˈtreɪnmən/

plural of “trainman” — an employee of a railroad

From this reading “The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

frontier town noun + noun

In this reading “The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.”

276 times in 426,211 chapters
ON THE BORDER preposition + article + noun counted as “on … border”

In this reading “ON THE BORDER.”

2,884 times in 426,211 chapters
in fact preposition + noun

in reality or actuality

In this reading “Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.”

69,970 times in 426,211 chapters
name of verb + particle

In this reading “The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.”

77,320 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 46

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.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

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

From this reading The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BORDERnounUS /ˈbɔːrdər/

a line that indicates a boundary

From this reading ON THE BORDER.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
continentnounUS /ˈkɑːntənənt/

one of the large landmasses of the earth

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
curious-sounding

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

From this reading The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.

Pending verification
desolateadjectiveUS /ˈdesələt/

providing no shelter or sustenance

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
dust-coveredadjective

covered with a layer of dust

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
expressverbUS /ɪkˈspres/

give expression to

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
factnounUS /fækt/

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

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
frontiernounUS /frənˈtɪr/

a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country

From this reading The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hoarselyadverb

in a hoarse or husky voice

From this reading The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
imposinglyadverb

in an impressive manner

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mag-gay

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

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

Pending verification
Maguez

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

From this reading "Maguez!

Pending verification
MexicannounUS /ˈmeksəkən/

a native or inhabitant of Mexico

From this reading The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MexiconounUS /ˈmeksəkoʊ/

a republic in southern North America; became independent from Spain in 1810

From this reading The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

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

From this reading The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading ON THE BORDER.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PacificnounUS /pəˈsɪfɪk/

the largest ocean in the world

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
portionnounUS /ˈpɔːrʃən/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rolledadjectiveUS /roʊld/

especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled inward

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shoutingnounUS /ˈʃaʊtɪŋ/

encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators

From this reading The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SlowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SouthernadjectiveUS /ˈsʌðərn/

in or characteristic of a region of the United States south of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
southwestnounUS /ˌsaʊˈθwest/

the compass point midway between south and west; at 225 degrees

From this reading The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sun-bitten

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

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

Pending verification
tarryverbUS /ˈteri/

be about

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

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 ON THE BORDER.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
trainmennounUS /ˈtreɪnmən/

plural of “trainman” — an employee of a railroad

From this reading The trainmen began hoarsely shouting the curious-sounding name of the small frontier town near the Mexican border, in the southwest part of New Mexico.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading Slowly the long dust-covered Southern Pacific express rolled imposingly into "Mag-gay," very slowly, in fact, as if it did not wish to tarry in that desolate, sun-bitten portion of the continent.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of The Border Boys on the Trail by John Henry Goldfrap holds 155 sentences, grouped into 31 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 The Border Boys on the Trail contain?

Chapter 1 holds 155 sentences of The Border Boys on the Trail, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Border Boys on the Trail by John Henry Goldfrap exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 155 sentences, grouped into 31 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 The Border Boys on the Trail?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 The Border Boys on the Trail

Common questions about reading The Border Boys on the Trail by John Henry Goldfrap on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Border Boys on the Trail?

Yes. All 3203 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48680 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Border Boys on the Trail is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #48680, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Border Boys on the Trail take to read?

About 266 minutes of reading across 641 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Border Boys on the Trail section by section

How to work through The Border Boys on the Trail section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Border Boys on the Trail 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 Border Boys on the Trail

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Border Boys on the Trail, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Border
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Border Boys on the Trail; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Maguez
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Border Boys on the Trail; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Trainmen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Border Boys on the Trail; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Began
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Border Boys on the Trail; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.