The Boy Allies at Verdun

Chapter XXV · Chapter 25

Chapter 25 of The Boy Allies at Verdun is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Clair W. (Clair Wallace) Hayes • Curated US English Learning Edition

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RUNNING THE GAUNTLET When Hal and Stubbs took to their heels after the former had relieved the German officer of his papers, they had run some distance before coming across anyone in the darkness.

Then they came upon another figure so suddenly that it almost resulted in their capture.

Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.

The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.

In a moment he found himself mixed up in the struggling mass.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter XXV Reading 1/29

The Boy Allies at Verdun Clair W. (Clair Wallace) Hayes

Chapter XXV

Chapter 25

Chapter 25 of The Boy Allies at Verdun is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

RUNNING THE GAUNTLET When Hal and Stubbs took to their heels after the former had relieved the German officer of his papers, they had run some distance before coming across anyone in the darkness. Then they came upon another figure so suddenly that it almost resulted in their capture. Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night. The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself. In a moment he found himself mixed up in the struggling mass.

The Boy Allies at Verdun

Chapter XXV · Chapter 25

Chapter 25 of The Boy Allies at Verdun 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

RUNNING THE GAUNTLET When Hal and Stubbs took to their heels after the former had relieved the German officer of his papers, they had run some distance before coming across anyone in the darkness.

Line 2

Then they came upon another figure so suddenly that it almost resulted in their capture.

/ðen ðeɪ keɪm əˈpɑːn əˈnʌðər ˈfɪɡjər soʊ ˈsʌdənli ðæt ɪt ˈɔːlmoʊst rɪˈzʌltɪd ɪn ðer ˈkæptʃər/

Line 3

Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.

Line 4

The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.

/ðə tuː went daʊn ɪn ə hiːp ənd stʌbz ˈtɜːrnɪŋ ə ˈmoʊmənt ˈleɪtər hæd ˈstʌmbəld ˈoʊvər ðə per ʌv ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ fɔːrmz bɪˈfɔːr hiː kʊd tʃek hɪmˈself/

Line 5

In a moment he found himself mixed up in the struggling mass.

/ɪn ə ˈmoʊmənt hiː faʊnd hɪmˈself mɪkst ʌp ɪn ðə ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ mæs/

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.

capture verb US /ˈkæptʃər/

succeed in representing or expressing something intangible

From this reading “Then they came upon another figure so suddenly that it almost resulted in their capture.”

crashed verb US /kræʃt/

past form of “crash” — fall or come down violently

From this reading “Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.”

gauntlet noun US /ˈɡɔːntlət/

to offer or accept a challenge

From this reading “RUNNING THE GAUNTLET When Hal and Stubbs took to their heels after the former had relieved the German officer of his papers, they had run some distance before coming across anyone in the darkness.”

resulted verb US /rɪˈzʌltɪd/

past form of “result” — issue or terminate (in a specified way, state, etc.); end

From this reading “Then they came upon another figure so suddenly that it almost resulted in their capture.”

rounding noun US /ˈraʊndɪŋ/

(mathematics) a miscalculation that results from rounding off numbers to a convenient number of decimals

From this reading “Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.”

slacken verb US /ˈslækən/

become slow or slower

From this reading “Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.”

Stubbs noun US /stʌbz/

English historian noted for his constitutional history of medieval England (1825-1901)

stumbled verb US /ˈstʌmbəld/

past form of “stumble” — walk unsteadily

From this reading “The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.”

All words in this reading · 75

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 Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading RUNNING THE GAUNTLET When Hal and Stubbs took to their heels after the former had relieved the German officer of his papers, they had run some distance before coming across anyone in the darkness.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Then they came upon another figure so suddenly that it almost resulted in their capture.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Then they came upon another figure so suddenly that it almost resulted in their capture.

anyonepronounUS /ˈeniwʌn/

any person at all

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Then they came upon another figure so suddenly that it almost resulted in their capture.

captureverbUS /ˈkæptʃər/

succeed in representing or expressing something intangible

From this reading Then they came upon another figure so suddenly that it almost resulted in their capture.

checkverbUS /tʃek/

examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition

From this reading The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.

crashedverbUS /kræʃt/

past form of “crash” — fall or come down violently

From this reading Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.

darknessnounUS /ˈdɑːrknəs/

absence of light or illumination

distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.

figurenounUS /ˈfɪɡjər/

a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading Then they came upon another figure so suddenly that it almost resulted in their capture.

formnounUS /fɔːrm/

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.

formeradjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrmər/

referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)

formsnounUS /fɔːrmz/

plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading In a moment he found himself mixed up in the struggling mass.

GAUNTLETnounUS /ˈɡɔːntlət/

to offer or accept a challenge

GermannounUS /ˈdʒɜːrmən/

a person of German nationality

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

Hal

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

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.

heapnounUS /hiːp/

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.

heelsnounUS /hiːlz/

plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Then they came upon another figure so suddenly that it almost resulted in their capture.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.

leadverbUS /led/

take somebody somewhere

From this reading Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.

massnounUS /mæs/

the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field

From this reading In a moment he found himself mixed up in the struggling mass.

mixedadjectiveUS /mɪkst/

consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds

From this reading In a moment he found himself mixed up in the struggling mass.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

officernounUS /ˈɔːfəsər/

any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.

pacenounUS /peɪs/

the rate of moving (especially walking or running)

From this reading Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.

pairnounUS /per/

a set of two similar things considered as a unit

From this reading The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.

papersnounUS /ˈpeɪpərz/

writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)

relievedadjectiveUS /rɪˈliːvd/

(of pain or sorrow) made easier to bear

resultedverbUS /rɪˈzʌltɪd/

past form of “result” — issue or terminate (in a specified way, state, etc.); end

From this reading Then they came upon another figure so suddenly that it almost resulted in their capture.

roundingnounUS /ˈraʊndɪŋ/

(mathematics) a miscalculation that results from rounding off numbers to a convenient number of decimals

From this reading Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.

runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

RUNNINGadjectiveUS /ˈrʌnɪŋ/

(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream

slackenverbUS /ˈslækən/

become slow or slower

From this reading Hal, in the lead, had been just about to slacken his pace, when, rounding a corner suddenly, he had crashed into a form in the night.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Then they came upon another figure so suddenly that it almost resulted in their capture.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

strugglingadjectiveUS /ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ/

engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity

From this reading The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.

StubbsnounUS /stʌbz/

English historian noted for his constitutional history of medieval England (1825-1901)

stumbledverbUS /ˈstʌmbəld/

past form of “stumble” — walk unsteadily

From this reading The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading Then they came upon another figure so suddenly that it almost resulted in their capture.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Then they came upon another figure so suddenly that it almost resulted in their capture.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then they came upon another figure so suddenly that it almost resulted in their capture.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

turningnounUS /ˈtɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course

From this reading The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading In a moment he found himself mixed up in the struggling mass.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Then they came upon another figure so suddenly that it almost resulted in their capture.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading The two went down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the pair of struggling forms before he could check himself.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

Chapter 25 of The Boy Allies at Verdun by Clair W. (Clair Wallace) Hayes 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 25 of The Boy Allies at Verdun contain?

Chapter 25 holds 145 sentences of The Boy Allies at Verdun, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 25 of The Boy Allies at Verdun by Clair W. (Clair Wallace) Hayes 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 25 of The Boy Allies at Verdun?

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 25 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 25 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.

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Yes. All 4091 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13020 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #13020, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 340 minutes of reading across 819 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Boy Allies at Verdun

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Boy Allies at Verdun, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Rightly: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy Allies at Verdun; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Verdun: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy Allies at Verdun; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Chapter XXV · Chapter 25

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