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The Boy from the Ranch
The Boy from the Ranch

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Boy from the Ranch is here in full — 146 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Frank V. Webster • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Boy from the Ranch
Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MR.
BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.
The messenger knew very little about it.
He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.
When he got back he found Mr. Bradner quite ill.
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 Boy from the Ranch

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Boy from the Ranch is here in full — 146 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MR.
/ˈmɪstər/
Line 2
BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.
Line 3
The messenger knew very little about it.
/ðə ˈmesəndʒər nuː ˈveri ˈlɪtəl əˈbaʊt ɪt/
Line 4
He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.
/hiː hæd bɪn tuː ə ˈdɪstənt ˈpæstʃər lænd wen hiː hæd bɪn ˈsʌmənd tuː ðə ræntʃ haʊs baɪ əˈnʌðər ˈkaʊbɔɪ huː wɑːz sent ˈæftər hɪm/
Line 5
When he got back he found Mr. Bradner quite ill.

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.

cowboy noun US /ˈkaʊbɔɪ/

a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback

From this reading “He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cowboys noun US /ˈkaʊbɔɪz/

plural of “cowboy” — a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback

From this reading “BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Crowding noun US /ˈkraʊdɪŋ/

a situation in which people or things are crowded together

From this reading “BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pasture noun US /ˈpæstʃər/

a field covered with grass or herbage and suitable for grazing by livestock

From this reading “He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Porter noun US /ˈpɔːrtər/

a person employed to carry luggage and supplies

From this reading “BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
questioned verb US /ˈkwestʃənd/

past form of “question” — challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading “BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ranch noun US /ræntʃ/

farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)

From this reading “BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suspicious adjective US /səˈspɪʃəs/

openly distrustful and unwilling to confide

From this reading “BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 50

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 He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The messenger knew very little about it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
affairsnounUS /əˈferz/

matters of personal concern

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading When he got back he found Mr. Bradner quite ill.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BRADNER

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

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

Pending verification
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
cowboynounUS /ˈkaʊbɔɪ/

a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback

From this reading He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cowboysnounUS /ˈkaʊbɔɪz/

plural of “cowboy” — a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CrowdingnounUS /ˈkraʊdɪŋ/

a situation in which people or things are crowded together

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
distantadjectiveUS /ˈdɪstənt/

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading When he got back he found Mr. Bradner quite ill.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading When he got back he found Mr. Bradner quite ill.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
housenounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
illadjectiveUS /ɪl/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading When he got back he found Mr. Bradner quite ill.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ISauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The messenger knew very little about it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading The messenger knew very little about it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading The messenger knew very little about it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
messengernounUS /ˈmesəndʒər/

a person who carries a message

From this reading The messenger knew very little about it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MRnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading MR.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
pasturenounUS /ˈpæstʃər/

a field covered with grass or herbage and suitable for grazing by livestock

From this reading He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PorternounUS /ˈpɔːrtər/

a person employed to carry luggage and supplies

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
questionedverbUS /ˈkwestʃənd/

past form of “question” — challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading When he got back he found Mr. Bradner quite ill.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ranchnounUS /ræntʃ/

farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Roy

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

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

Pending verification
sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
summonedverbUS /ˈsʌmənd/

past form of “summon” — call in an official matter, such as to attend court

From this reading He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SUSPICIOUSadjectiveUS /səˈspɪʃəs/

openly distrustful and unwilling to confide

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sympathynounUS /ˈsɪmpəθi/

an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading BRADNER IS SUSPICIOUS Crowding around Roy in ready sympathy, the cowboys questioned Porter as to the state of affairs at the ranch.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading The messenger knew very little about it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading He had been to a distant pasture land, when he had been summoned to the ranch house by another cowboy, who was sent after him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 2 of The Boy from the Ranch by Frank V. Webster holds 146 sentences, grouped into 30 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 2 of The Boy from the Ranch contain?

Chapter 2 holds 146 sentences of The Boy from the Ranch, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Boy from the Ranch by Frank V. Webster exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 146 sentences, grouped into 30 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 2 of The Boy from the Ranch?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 from the Ranch

Common questions about reading The Boy from the Ranch by Frank V. Webster on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Boy from the Ranch?

Yes. All 3017 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21794 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Boy from the Ranch is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #21794, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Boy from the Ranch take to read?

About 251 minutes of reading across 604 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Boy from the Ranch section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 25 chapters of The Boy from the Ranch 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 Boy from the Ranch

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Boy from the Ranch, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Ruste
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy from the Ranch; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Around
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy from the Ranch; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Other
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy from the Ranch; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Round
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy from the Ranch; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.