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The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan
The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan

Chapter XV · We Become Prisoners of the Tcha

Chapter XV of The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan, “We Become Prisoners of the Tcha,” is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.
Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.
They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.
He wasn’t at all a bad looking fellow.”
I believe I would rather face the Tcha than tackle the Itzaex again,” added Ned Britton.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan

Chapter XV · We Become Prisoners of the Tcha

Chapter XV of The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan, “We Become Prisoners of the Tcha,” is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.
Line 2
Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.
/ˈaʊər best ˈpɑːləsi wʊd biː tuː əˈpɪr əˈmʌŋ ðem æt wʌns ˈræðər ðæn weɪt fɔːr ðem tuː ˈfɔːrmjəleɪt ə plæn tuː prɪˈvent ˈaʊər ˈpɜːrpəs/
Line 3
They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.
Line 4
He wasn’t at all a bad looking fellow.”
Line 5
I believe I would rather face the Tcha than tackle the Itzaex again,” added Ned Britton.

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.

fierce adjective US /fɪrs/

marked by extreme and violent energy

From this reading ““They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.”

formulate verb US /ˈfɔːrmjəleɪt/

elaborate, as of theories and hypotheses

From this reading “Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.”

intention noun US /ˌɪnˈtentʃən/

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading “Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.”

policy noun US /ˈpɑːləsi/

a plan of action adopted by an individual or social group

From this reading “Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.”

prevent verb US /prɪˈvent/

keep from happening or arising; make impossible

From this reading “Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.”

sample noun US /ˈsæmpəl/

a small part of something intended as representative of the whole

From this reading ““They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.”

tackle noun US /ˈtækəl/

the person who plays that position on a football team

From this reading ““I believe I would rather face the Tcha than tackle the Itzaex again,” added Ned Britton.”

visiting noun US /ˈvɪzɪtɪŋ/

the activity of making visits

From this reading “Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.”

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.

best policy noun + noun

In this reading “Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.”

at once preposition + adverb

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

In this reading “Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.”

wait for verb + particle

In this reading “Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.”

Without doubt preposition + noun

admittedly

In this reading “Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.”

on the mountain preposition + article + noun counted as “on … mountain”

In this reading “Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.”

All words in this reading · 68

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 Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

addedverbUS /ˈædəd/

past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading “I believe I would rather face the Tcha than tackle the Itzaex again,” added Ned Britton.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading “I believe I would rather face the Tcha than tackle the Itzaex again,” added Ned Britton.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading “He wasn’t at all a bad looking fellow.”

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

appearverbUS /əˈpɪr/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

Archie

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

From this reading “They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading “They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading “He wasn’t at all a bad looking fellow.”

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading “I believe I would rather face the Tcha than tackle the Itzaex again,” added Ned Britton.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

Britton

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

From this reading “I believe I would rather face the Tcha than tackle the Itzaex again,” added Ned Britton.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

can't

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

From this reading “They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

declaredadjectiveUS /dɪˈklerd/

made known or openly avowed

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

doubtnounUS /daʊt/

the state of being unsure of something

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading “I believe I would rather face the Tcha than tackle the Itzaex again,” added Ned Britton.

fellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

From this reading “He wasn’t at all a bad looking fellow.”

fierceadjectiveUS /fɪrs/

marked by extreme and violent energy

From this reading “They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

formulateverbUS /ˈfɔːrmjəleɪt/

elaborate, as of theories and hypotheses

From this reading Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading “He wasn’t at all a bad looking fellow.”

hiddenadjectiveUS /ˈhɪdən/

not accessible to view

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “I believe I would rather face the Tcha than tackle the Itzaex again,” added Ned Britton.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading “They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.

intentionnounUS /ˌɪnˈtentʃən/

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

Itzaex

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

From this reading “I believe I would rather face the Tcha than tackle the Itzaex again,” added Ned Britton.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading “They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading “He wasn’t at all a bad looking fellow.”

mountainnounUS /ˈmaʊntən/

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

Ned

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

From this reading “I believe I would rather face the Tcha than tackle the Itzaex again,” added Ned Britton.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

others

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

From this reading “They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading “They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.

planverbUS /plæn/

have the will and intention to carry out some action

From this reading Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

policynounUS /ˈpɑːləsi/

a plan of action adopted by an individual or social group

From this reading Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

presencenounUS /ˈprezəns/

the state of being present; current existence

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

preventverbUS /prɪˈvent/

keep from happening or arising; make impossible

From this reading Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

purposenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəs/

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

remarkedverbUS /rɪˈmɑːrkt/

past form of “remark” — make mention of

From this reading “They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.

samplenounUS /ˈsæmpəl/

a small part of something intended as representative of the whole

From this reading “They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.

seenverbUS /siːn/

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

From this reading “They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.

tacklenounUS /ˈtækəl/

the person who plays that position on a football team

From this reading “I believe I would rather face the Tcha than tackle the Itzaex again,” added Ned Britton.

Tcha

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

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading “They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading “They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.

visitingnounUS /ˈvɪzɪtɪŋ/

the activity of making visits

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

waitverbUS /weɪt/

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

wasn't

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

From this reading “He wasn’t at all a bad looking fellow.”

we've

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

From this reading “They can’t be very fierce people, if the others are like the sample we’ve seen,” remarked Archie.

WithoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Without doubt our presence on the mountain and our declared intention of visiting the hidden city was by this time known to the Tcha.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Our best policy would be to appear among them at once, rather than wait for them to formulate a plan to prevent our purpose.

Chapter 15 of The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum holds 117 sentences, grouped into 24 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 15 of The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan contain?

Chapter 15 holds 117 sentences of The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 117 sentences, grouped into 24 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 15 of The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan

Common questions about reading The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan?

Yes. All 3315 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #63508 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #63508, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan take to read?

About 276 minutes of reading across 663 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan section by section

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Vocabulary met early in The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fortune
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hunters
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Yucatan
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.