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The Expressman and the Detective
The Expressman and the Detective

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Expressman and the Detective is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Expressman and the Detective
Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
He led the way to where the dead carcass lay.
As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!
You must be the man who was lurking around my house last night!
You had better go down and explain to Mrs. Maroney what you were doing around there."
"What do you suppose I could be doing at your house?" asked Barclay, much perplexed.
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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 Expressman and the Detective

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Expressman and the Detective is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
He led the way to where the dead carcass lay.
/hiː led ðə weɪ tuː wer ðə ded ˈkɑːrkəs leɪ/
Line 2
As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!
Line 3
You must be the man who was lurking around my house last night!
/juː mʌst biː ðə mæn huː wɑːz ˈlɜːrkɪŋ ərˈaʊnd maɪ haʊs læst naɪt/
Line 4
You had better go down and explain to Mrs. Maroney what you were doing around there."
Line 5
"What do you suppose I could be doing at your house?" asked Barclay, much perplexed.

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.

angrily adverb US /ˈæŋɡrəli/

with anger

From this reading “As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!”

appendage noun US /əˈpendɪdʒ/

an external body part that projects from the body

From this reading “As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!”

carcass noun US /ˈkɑːrkəs/

the dead body of an animal especially one slaughtered and dressed for food

From this reading “He led the way to where the dead carcass lay.”

caudal adjective US /ˈkɑːdəl/

constituting or relating to a tail

From this reading “As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!”

dashed adjective US /dæʃt/

having gaps or spaces

From this reading “As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!”

Josh verb US /dʒɑːʃ/

be silly or tease one another

From this reading “As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!”

lurking verb US /ˈlɜːrkɪŋ/

-ing form of “lurk” — lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner

From this reading “You must be the man who was lurking around my house last night!”

perplexed adjective US /pərˈplekst/

full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment

From this reading “"What do you suppose I could be doing at your house?" asked Barclay, much perplexed.”

All words in this reading · 64

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

angrilyadverbUS /ˈæŋɡrəli/

with anger

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

animalnounUS /ˈænəməl/

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

appendagenounUS /əˈpendɪdʒ/

an external body part that projects from the body

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading You must be the man who was lurking around my house last night!

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "What do you suppose I could be doing at your house?" asked Barclay, much perplexed.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "What do you suppose I could be doing at your house?" asked Barclay, much perplexed.

Barclay

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

From this reading "What do you suppose I could be doing at your house?" asked Barclay, much perplexed.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading You must be the man who was lurking around my house last night!

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading You had better go down and explain to Mrs. Maroney what you were doing around there."

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

carcassnounUS /ˈkɑːrkəs/

the dead body of an animal especially one slaughtered and dressed for food

From this reading He led the way to where the dead carcass lay.

caudaladjectiveUS /ˈkɑːdəl/

constituting or relating to a tail

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading "What do you suppose I could be doing at your house?" asked Barclay, much perplexed.

dashedadjectiveUS /dæʃt/

having gaps or spaces

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading He led the way to where the dead carcass lay.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "What do you suppose I could be doing at your house?" asked Barclay, much perplexed.

dognounUS /dɔːɡ/

a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading You had better go down and explain to Mrs. Maroney what you were doing around there."

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading You had better go down and explain to Mrs. Maroney what you were doing around there."

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

explainverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪn/

make plain and comprehensible

From this reading You had better go down and explain to Mrs. Maroney what you were doing around there."

forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/

at or to or toward the front

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading You had better go down and explain to Mrs. Maroney what you were doing around there."

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading You had better go down and explain to Mrs. Maroney what you were doing around there."

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He led the way to where the dead carcass lay.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading You must be the man who was lurking around my house last night!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "What do you suppose I could be doing at your house?" asked Barclay, much perplexed.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

JoshverbUS /dʒɑːʃ/

be silly or tease one another

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading You must be the man who was lurking around my house last night!

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading He led the way to where the dead carcass lay.

lednounUS /led/

diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used

From this reading He led the way to where the dead carcass lay.

lurkingverbUS /ˈlɜːrkɪŋ/

-ing form of “lurk” — lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner

From this reading You must be the man who was lurking around my house last night!

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading You must be the man who was lurking around my house last night!

Maroney

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

From this reading You had better go down and explain to Mrs. Maroney what you were doing around there."

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading You had better go down and explain to Mrs. Maroney what you were doing around there."

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading "What do you suppose I could be doing at your house?" asked Barclay, much perplexed.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading You must be the man who was lurking around my house last night!

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading You must be the man who was lurking around my house last night!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

perplexedadjectiveUS /pərˈplekst/

full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment

From this reading "What do you suppose I could be doing at your house?" asked Barclay, much perplexed.

raisingnounUS /ˈreɪzɪŋ/

the event of something being raised upward

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

supposeverbUS /səˈpoʊz/

express a supposition

From this reading "What do you suppose I could be doing at your house?" asked Barclay, much perplexed.

That's

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

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He led the way to where the dead carcass lay.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading You had better go down and explain to Mrs. Maroney what you were doing around there."

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading As soon as they came in sight of it Josh. dashed forward, and raising the dead animal by its caudal appendage, angrily exclaimed: "That's my dog!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He led the way to where the dead carcass lay.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading You must be the man who was lurking around my house last night!

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading He led the way to where the dead carcass lay.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading You had better go down and explain to Mrs. Maroney what you were doing around there."

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading You had better go down and explain to Mrs. Maroney what you were doing around there."

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading He led the way to where the dead carcass lay.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading You must be the man who was lurking around my house last night!

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You must be the man who was lurking around my house last night!

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "What do you suppose I could be doing at your house?" asked Barclay, much perplexed.

Chapter 8 of The Expressman and the Detective by Allan Pinkerton holds 415 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.

What does chapter 8 of The Expressman and the Detective contain?

Chapter 8 holds 415 sentences of The Expressman and the Detective, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Expressman and the Detective by Allan Pinkerton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 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.

How do I study chapter 8 of The Expressman and the Detective?

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.

Can chapter 8 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Expressman and the Detective

Common questions about reading The Expressman and the Detective by Allan Pinkerton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Expressman and the Detective?

Yes. All 3741 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22155 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Expressman and the Detective is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #22155, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Expressman and the Detective take to read?

About 311 minutes of reading across 749 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Expressman and the Detective section by section

How to work through The Expressman and the Detective section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Expressman and the Detective 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 Expressman and the Detective

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Expressman and the Detective, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Allan
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Expressman and the Detective; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pinkerton's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Expressman and the Detective; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Detective
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Expressman and the Detective; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stories
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Expressman and the Detective; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.