Chapter 17 of The Erie Train Boy is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of The Erie Train Boy is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
TWO YOUNG LADY PASSENGERS AT ODDS. Ferguson produced a pair of handcuffs and pinioned the wrists of his captive. Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk." "Are you going to handcuff _him?_" asked the burglar, indicating Fred. "No."
Chapter 17 of The Erie Train Boy is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/24 · 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.
A person who commits illegal entry into a building with intent to steal valuable treasures.
From this reading “"Are you going to handcuff _him?_" asked the burglar, indicating Fred.”
shackle that consists of a metal loop that can be locked around the wrist; usually used in pairs
From this reading “"Are you going to handcuff _him?_" asked the burglar, indicating Fred.”
plural of “handcuff” — shackle that consists of a metal loop that can be locked around the wrist; usually used in pairs
From this reading “Ferguson produced a pair of handcuffs and pinioned the wrists of his captive.”
state of disgrace or loss of self-respect
From this reading “Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."”
-ing form of “indicate” — be a signal for or a symptom of
From this reading “"Are you going to handcuff _him?_" asked the burglar, indicating Fred.”
the likelihood of a thing occurring rather than not occurring
From this reading “TWO YOUNG LADY PASSENGERS AT ODDS.”
United States golfer (born in 1929)
From this reading “Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."”
plural of “wrist” — a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones
From this reading “Ferguson produced a pair of handcuffs and pinioned the wrists of his captive.”
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 Ferguson produced a pair of handcuffs and pinioned the wrists of his captive.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Ferguson produced a pair of handcuffs and pinioned the wrists of his captive.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Are you going to handcuff _him?_" asked the burglar, indicating Fred.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading TWO YOUNG LADY PASSENGERS AT ODDS.
A person who commits illegal entry into a building with intent to steal valuable treasures.
From this reading "Are you going to handcuff _him?_" asked the burglar, indicating Fred.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading Ferguson produced a pair of handcuffs and pinioned the wrists of his captive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ferguson produced a pair of handcuffs and pinioned the wrists of his captive.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Are you going to handcuff _him?_" asked the burglar, indicating Fred.
the act of departing
From this reading "Are you going to handcuff _him?_" asked the burglar, indicating Fred.
shackle that consists of a metal loop that can be locked around the wrist; usually used in pairs
From this reading "Are you going to handcuff _him?_" asked the burglar, indicating Fred.
plural of “handcuff” — shackle that consists of a metal loop that can be locked around the wrist; usually used in pairs
From this reading Ferguson produced a pair of handcuffs and pinioned the wrists of his captive.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Are you going to handcuff _him?_" asked the burglar, indicating Fred.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Ferguson produced a pair of handcuffs and pinioned the wrists of his captive.
state of disgrace or loss of self-respect
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
of great significance or value
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
-ing form of “indicate” — be a signal for or a symptom of
From this reading "Are you going to handcuff _him?_" asked the burglar, indicating Fred.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading TWO YOUNG LADY PASSENGERS AT ODDS.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
not any; not one
From this reading "No."
the likelihood of a thing occurring rather than not occurring
From this reading TWO YOUNG LADY PASSENGERS AT ODDS.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Ferguson produced a pair of handcuffs and pinioned the wrists of his captive.
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading Ferguson produced a pair of handcuffs and pinioned the wrists of his captive.
United States golfer (born in 1929)
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
plural of “passenger” — a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it
From this reading TWO YOUNG LADY PASSENGERS AT ODDS.
(of birds) especially having the flight feathers
From this reading Ferguson produced a pair of handcuffs and pinioned the wrists of his captive.
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield
From this reading Ferguson produced a pair of handcuffs and pinioned the wrists of his captive.
past form of “protest” — utter words of protest
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
with low volume
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Ferguson produced a pair of handcuffs and pinioned the wrists of his captive.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading TWO YOUNG LADY PASSENGERS AT ODDS.
plural of “wrist” — a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones
From this reading Ferguson produced a pair of handcuffs and pinioned the wrists of his captive.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Palmer protested against the humiliation, but Ferguson said quietly: "You are too important a prisoner for me to run any risk."
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading TWO YOUNG LADY PASSENGERS AT ODDS.
Chapter 17 of The Erie Train Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 17 holds 120 sentences of The Erie Train Boy, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of The Erie Train Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 17 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 Erie Train Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4563 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26075 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26075, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 380 minutes of reading across 913 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Erie Train Boy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 38 chapters of The Erie Train Boy 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 Erie Train Boy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
