Chapter 8 of The Boy Tar is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of The Boy Tar is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me. I was on my knees, knife in hand, resolved and ready. That precious piece of steel, how prized at the moment! I would not have exchanged it for the full of the ship of red gold! I have said that I was upon my knees.
Chapter 8 of The Boy Tar is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
for a short time
From this reading “Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.”
(physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs
From this reading “Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.”
changed for (replaced by) something different
From this reading “I would not have exchanged it for the full of the ship of red gold!”
inflected form of “forsake” — leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading “Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.”
past form of “prize” — hold dear
From this reading “That precious piece of steel, how prized at the moment!”
plural of “reflection” — a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
From this reading “Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.”
past form of “rouse” — become active
From this reading “Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.”
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading “That precious piece of steel, how prized at the moment!”
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.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I was on my knees, knife in hand, resolved and ready.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading That precious piece of steel, how prized at the moment!
for a short time
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
(physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
changed for (replaced by) something different
From this reading I would not have exchanged it for the full of the ship of red gold!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
inflected form of “forsake” — leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading I would not have exchanged it for the full of the ship of red gold!
coins made of gold
From this reading I would not have exchanged it for the full of the ship of red gold!
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading I was on my knees, knife in hand, resolved and ready.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I would not have exchanged it for the full of the ship of red gold!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That precious piece of steel, how prized at the moment!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I was on my knees, knife in hand, resolved and ready.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I would not have exchanged it for the full of the ship of red gold!
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading I was on my knees, knife in hand, resolved and ready.
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading I was on my knees, knife in hand, resolved and ready.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
a particular point in time
From this reading That precious piece of steel, how prized at the moment!
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I would not have exchanged it for the full of the ship of red gold!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading That precious piece of steel, how prized at the moment!
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I was on my knees, knife in hand, resolved and ready.
on one occasion
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading That precious piece of steel, how prized at the moment!
characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for
From this reading That precious piece of steel, how prized at the moment!
past form of “prize” — hold dear
From this reading That precious piece of steel, how prized at the moment!
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading I was on my knees, knife in hand, resolved and ready.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading I would not have exchanged it for the full of the ship of red gold!
plural of “reflection” — a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
determined
From this reading I was on my knees, knife in hand, resolved and ready.
past form of “rouse” — become active
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading I have said that I was upon my knees.
transport commercially
From this reading I would not have exchanged it for the full of the ship of red gold!
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading That precious piece of steel, how prized at the moment!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Thus ran my reflections, as I became once more roused to the energy that for awhile had forsaken me.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading I have said that I was upon my knees.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was on my knees, knife in hand, resolved and ready.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I would not have exchanged it for the full of the ship of red gold!
Chapter 8 of The Boy Tar by Mayne Reid holds 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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.
Chapter 8 holds 411 sentences of The Boy Tar, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The Boy Tar by Mayne Reid exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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.
Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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.
Common questions about reading The Boy Tar by Mayne Reid on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4053 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25666 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25666, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 337 minutes of reading across 811 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Boy Tar section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Boy Tar to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Boy Tar, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
