Chapter 3 of The Bush Boys is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Bush Boys is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CHAPTER NINE. A LION "COUCHANT." They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously. That object was a lion! He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!
Chapter 3 of The Bush Boys is here in full — 412 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.
headgear for a horse; includes a headstall and bit and reins to give the rider or driver control
From this reading “They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.”
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading “CHAPTER NINE.”
past form of “couch” — formulate in a particular style or language
From this reading “He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!”
without deviation
From this reading “He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!”
large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
From this reading “A LION "COUCHANT."”
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading “CHAPTER NINE.”
past form of “proceed” — continue talking
From this reading “They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.”
at the same instant
From this reading “They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A LION "COUCHANT."
(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 They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
headgear for a horse; includes a headstall and bit and reins to give the rider or driver control
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading CHAPTER NINE.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!
lying on the stomach with head raised with legs pointed forward
From this reading A LION "COUCHANT."
past form of “couch” — formulate in a particular style or language
From this reading He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!
without deviation
From this reading He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!
cause to move by pulling
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!
ten 10s
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!
resulting from one's intentions
From this reading He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!
large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
From this reading A LION "COUCHANT."
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading CHAPTER NINE.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
a course of conduct
From this reading He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!
past form of “proceed” — continue talking
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
Identical; not different.
From this reading He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!
at the same instant
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
carry out
From this reading He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!
precisely as stated
From this reading He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That object was a lion!
at the time that
From this reading They had not proceeded an hundred steps when an object appeared before them that caused all three to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He was couched upon the plain directly in the path they intended to take--the very same path by which they had come!
Chapter 3 of The Bush Boys by Mayne Reid holds 412 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 3 holds 412 sentences of The Bush Boys, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Bush Boys by Mayne Reid exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 412 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 3 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 Bush Boys by Mayne Reid on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4454 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21237 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21237, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 371 minutes of reading across 891 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Bush Boys section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Bush Boys 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 Bush Boys, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
