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The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales
The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales
Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.
Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.
“‘Spoken like a man!’ cried he whom they addressed as Allen.
Jack Cade will be right glad of such a recruit.
Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’
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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 Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.
Line 2
Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.
Line 3
“‘Spoken like a man!’ cried he whom they addressed as Allen.
Line 4
Jack Cade will be right glad of such a recruit.
Line 5
Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

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.

Blood noun US /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading “Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’”

All words in this reading · 87

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.

a

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

addressed

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

From this reading “‘Spoken like a man!’ cried he whom they addressed as Allen.

against

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

Allen

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

From this reading “‘Spoken like a man!’ cried he whom they addressed as Allen.

and

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

as

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

be

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

become

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

best

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

better

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

BloodnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

but

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

by

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

Cade

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

From this reading ‘Jack Cade will be right glad of such a recruit.

captors

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

carried

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

carrion

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

cried

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

From this reading “‘Spoken like a man!’ cried he whom they addressed as Allen.

curiosity

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

day

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

dismounting

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

enemies

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

eventually

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

follow

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

For

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

from

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

glad

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

From this reading ‘Jack Cade will be right glad of such a recruit.

gone

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

hadst

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

haft

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

hast

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

have

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

he

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

hero

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

hesitated

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

himself

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

his

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

horse

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

hurl

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

I

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

ill

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

intimated

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

it

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

Jack

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

From this reading ‘Jack Cade will be right glad of such a recruit.

knightly

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

large

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

like

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

From this reading “‘Spoken like a man!’ cried he whom they addressed as Allen.

listened

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

man

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

From this reading “‘Spoken like a man!’ cried he whom they addressed as Allen.

might

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

mingled

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

moment

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

my

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

not

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

obey

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

of

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

or

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

our

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

ox

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

Prudence

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

ready

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

reason

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

recruit

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

From this reading ‘Jack Cade will be right glad of such a recruit.

requests

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

right

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

From this reading ‘Jack Cade will be right glad of such a recruit.

share

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

some

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

Spoken

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

From this reading “‘Spoken like a man!’ cried he whom they addressed as Allen.

such

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

From this reading ‘Jack Cade will be right glad of such a recruit.

swear

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

sword

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

that

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

the

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

their

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

thews

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

they

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

From this reading “‘Spoken like a man!’ cried he whom they addressed as Allen.

thou

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

to

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

traditions

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

us

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

was

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

whether

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

whom

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

From this reading “‘Spoken like a man!’ cried he whom they addressed as Allen.

will

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

From this reading ‘Jack Cade will be right glad of such a recruit.

with

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

From this reading Prudence, mingled with a large share of curiosity, eventually carried the day, and dismounting from his horse, he intimated that he was ready to follow his captors.

would

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

From this reading “For a moment our hero hesitated as to whether it would best become his knightly traditions to hurl himself against his enemies, or whether it might not be better to obey their requests.

young

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

From this reading Blood and carrion! but thou hast the thews of a young ox; and I swear, by the haft of my sword, that it might have gone ill with some of us hadst thou not listened to reason!’

Chapter 18 of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales by Arthur Conan Doyle holds 160 sentences, grouped into 32 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 18 of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales contain?

Chapter 18 holds 160 sentences of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales by Arthur Conan Doyle exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 160 sentences, grouped into 32 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 18 of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales

Common questions about reading The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales by Arthur Conan Doyle on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales?

Yes. All 4188 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #294 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #294, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales take to read?

About 349 minutes of reading across 838 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales section by section

How to work through The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 25 chapters of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales 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 Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Other
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tales
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Preface
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Following
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.