The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek is here in full — 42 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Willard F. Baker • Curated US English Learning Edition

Chapter 23 of The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek by Willard F. Baker holds 42 sentences, grouped into 9 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 23 of The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek contain?

Chapter 23 holds 42 sentences of The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek by Willard F. Baker exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 42 sentences, grouped into 9 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 23 of The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek?

Work through the 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 9 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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 Ranchers at Spur Creek

Common questions about reading The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek by Willard F. Baker on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek?

Yes. All 2738 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27095 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #27095, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek take to read?

About 228 minutes of reading across 548 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek section by section

How to work through The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 25 chapters of The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Ranchers: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Solving: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mystery: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Diamond: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Cover illustration for The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.

"What's the idea?" asked Dick, who thought perhaps his brother was "joshing."

"It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.

"It may sound foolish, but it's worth trying, I think."

And when, a little later, he had explained to Mr. Merkel and Sheriff, they clapped the lad on the back heartily and said:

Narrator

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 Ranchers at Spur Creek

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek is here in full — 42 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.

Line 2

"What's the idea?" asked Dick, who thought perhaps his brother was "joshing."

Line 3

"It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.

Line 4

"It may sound foolish, but it's worth trying, I think."

Line 5

And when, a little later, he had explained to Mr. Merkel and Sheriff, they clapped the lad on the back heartily and said:

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, audio, and collocations from this reading.

After preposition US /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “"It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.”

DISGUISE noun US /dɪsˈɡaɪz/

A means of altering one's appearance to conceal one's identity.

From this reading “IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.”

May modal verb US /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading “"It may sound foolish, but it's worth trying, I think."”

All words in this reading · 62

Every word is available to listen to. 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 And when, a little later, he had explained to Mr. Merkel and Sheriff, they clapped the lad on the back heartily and said:

abashed

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

From this reading IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading "It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.

All

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

From this reading IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And when, a little later, he had explained to Mr. Merkel and Sheriff, they clapped the lad on the back heartily and said:

asked

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

From this reading "What's the idea?" asked Dick, who thought perhaps his brother was "joshing."

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.

back

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

From this reading And when, a little later, he had explained to Mr. Merkel and Sheriff, they clapped the lad on the back heartily and said:

brother

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

From this reading "What's the idea?" asked Dick, who thought perhaps his brother was "joshing."

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.

camp

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

From this reading "It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.

clapped

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

From this reading And when, a little later, he had explained to Mr. Merkel and Sheriff, they clapped the lad on the back heartily and said:

Del

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

From this reading "It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.

Dick

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

From this reading "What's the idea?" asked Dick, who thought perhaps his brother was "joshing."

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.

DISGUISEnounUS /dɪsˈɡaɪz/

A means of altering one's appearance to conceal one's identity.

From this reading IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.

explained

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

From this reading And when, a little later, he had explained to Mr. Merkel and Sheriff, they clapped the lad on the back heartily and said:

eyes

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

From this reading IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.

foolish

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

From this reading "It may sound foolish, but it's worth trying, I think."

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading And when, a little later, he had explained to Mr. Merkel and Sheriff, they clapped the lad on the back heartily and said:

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.

heartily

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

From this reading And when, a little later, he had explained to Mr. Merkel and Sheriff, they clapped the lad on the back heartily and said:

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading "What's the idea?" asked Dick, who thought perhaps his brother was "joshing."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.

idea

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

From this reading "What's the idea?" asked Dick, who thought perhaps his brother was "joshing."

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.

it's

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

From this reading "It may sound foolish, but it's worth trying, I think."

joshing

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

From this reading "What's the idea?" asked Dick, who thought perhaps his brother was "joshing."

just

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

From this reading "It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.

lad

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

From this reading IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.

later

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

From this reading And when, a little later, he had explained to Mr. Merkel and Sheriff, they clapped the lad on the back heartily and said:

little

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

From this reading And when, a little later, he had explained to Mr. Merkel and Sheriff, they clapped the lad on the back heartily and said:

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "It may sound foolish, but it's worth trying, I think."

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.

Merkel

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

From this reading And when, a little later, he had explained to Mr. Merkel and Sheriff, they clapped the lad on the back heartily and said:

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

From this reading And when, a little later, he had explained to Mr. Merkel and Sheriff, they clapped the lad on the back heartily and said:

Nort

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

From this reading "It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.

occurred

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

From this reading "It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.

perhaps

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

From this reading "What's the idea?" asked Dick, who thought perhaps his brother was "joshing."

Pinzo

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

From this reading "It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.

professor's

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

From this reading "It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.

said

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

From this reading "It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.

saw

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

From this reading "It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.

seem

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

From this reading IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.

Sheriff

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

From this reading And when, a little later, he had explained to Mr. Merkel and Sheriff, they clapped the lad on the back heartily and said:

sound

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

From this reading "It may sound foolish, but it's worth trying, I think."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading And when, a little later, he had explained to Mr. Merkel and Sheriff, they clapped the lad on the back heartily and said:

think

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

From this reading "It may sound foolish, but it's worth trying, I think."

thought

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

From this reading "What's the idea?" asked Dick, who thought perhaps his brother was "joshing."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "It just occurred to me, after I saw Del Pinzo at the professor's camp," Nort said.

trying

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

From this reading "It may sound foolish, but it's worth trying, I think."

turned

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

From this reading IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "What's the idea?" asked Dick, who thought perhaps his brother was "joshing."

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading IN DISGUISE All eyes were turned on the lad, but he did not seem abashed.

What's

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

From this reading "What's the idea?" asked Dick, who thought perhaps his brother was "joshing."

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading And when, a little later, he had explained to Mr. Merkel and Sheriff, they clapped the lad on the back heartily and said:

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "What's the idea?" asked Dick, who thought perhaps his brother was "joshing."

worth

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

From this reading "It may sound foolish, but it's worth trying, I think."

Chapter XXIII

What does chapter 23 of The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek contain?

How do I study chapter 23 of The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek?

Can chapter 23 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek

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Vocabulary met early in The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek