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The Headless Horseman
The Headless Horseman

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Headless Horseman is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Chapter 17 of The Headless Horseman by Mayne Reid holds 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 17 of The Headless Horseman contain?

Chapter 17 holds 402 sentences of The Headless Horseman, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Headless Horseman by Mayne Reid exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 17 of The Headless Horseman?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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 17 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Headless Horseman

Common questions about reading The Headless Horseman by Mayne Reid on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Headless Horseman?

Yes. All 13595 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35587 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Headless Horseman is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #35587, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Headless Horseman take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2719 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Headless Horseman section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 34 chapters of The Headless Horseman 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 Headless Horseman

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Headless Horseman, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Headless
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Headless Horseman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Horseman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Headless Horseman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Strange
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Headless Horseman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Texas
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Headless Horseman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cover illustration for The Headless Horseman
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.
Nor did he awake until daylight looked in at his door, and along with it a visitor.
"Jose!" he cried out in a tone of surprise in which pleasure was perceptible--"you here?"
"_Si, Senor; yo estoy_."
"Glad to see you, good Jose.
0:00 / 0:00
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 Headless Horseman

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Headless Horseman is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.
Line 2
Nor did he awake until daylight looked in at his door, and along with it a visitor.
Line 3
"Jose!" he cried out in a tone of surprise in which pleasure was perceptible--"you here?"
Line 4
"_Si, Senor; yo estoy_."
Line 5
"Glad to see you, good Jose.

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, audio, and collocations from this reading.

After preposition US /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.”

Along preposition US /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading “Nor did he awake until daylight looked in at his door, and along with it a visitor.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.”

Being auxiliary verb US /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading “His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.”

Through preposition US /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading “His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.”

Until preposition US /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading “Nor did he awake until daylight looked in at his door, and along with it a visitor.”

All words in this reading · 65

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

able

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading Nor did he awake until daylight looked in at his door, and along with it a visitor.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

arrive

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

asleep

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

awake

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

From this reading Nor did he awake until daylight looked in at his door, and along with it a visitor.

becoming

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

concerning

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

conditional

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

cried

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

From this reading "Jose!" he cried out in a tone of surprise in which pleasure was perceptible--"you here?"

daylight

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

From this reading Nor did he awake until daylight looked in at his door, and along with it a visitor.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Nor did he awake until daylight looked in at his door, and along with it a visitor.

door

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

From this reading Nor did he awake until daylight looked in at his door, and along with it a visitor.

estoy

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

From this reading "_Si, Senor; yo estoy_."

explanation

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

fell

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

Glad

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

From this reading "Glad to see you, good Jose.

good

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

From this reading "Glad to see you, good Jose.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

here

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

From this reading "Jose!" he cried out in a tone of surprise in which pleasure was perceptible--"you here?"

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Nor did he awake until daylight looked in at his door, and along with it a visitor.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

Jose

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

From this reading "Jose!" he cried out in a tone of surprise in which pleasure was perceptible--"you here?"

little

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

looked

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

From this reading Nor did he awake until daylight looked in at his door, and along with it a visitor.

NorconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading Nor did he awake until daylight looked in at his door, and along with it a visitor.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Jose!" he cried out in a tone of surprise in which pleasure was perceptible--"you here?"

other

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

out

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

From this reading "Jose!" he cried out in a tone of surprise in which pleasure was perceptible--"you here?"

partly

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

perceptible

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

From this reading "Jose!" he cried out in a tone of surprise in which pleasure was perceptible--"you here?"

pleasure

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

From this reading "Jose!" he cried out in a tone of surprise in which pleasure was perceptible--"you here?"

relieved

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

see

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

From this reading "Glad to see you, good Jose.

Senor

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

From this reading "_Si, Senor; yo estoy_."

Si

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

From this reading "_Si, Senor; yo estoy_."

soon

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

spirit

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

surprise

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

From this reading "Jose!" he cried out in a tone of surprise in which pleasure was perceptible--"you here?"

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

thought

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

threat

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

tone

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

From this reading "Jose!" he cried out in a tone of surprise in which pleasure was perceptible--"you here?"

tranquillised

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

troubling

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

From this reading His spirit becoming a little tranquillised, partly through being relieved by this conditional threat--and partly from the explanation he had been able to arrive at concerning the other thought that had been troubling it--he soon after fell asleep.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Nor did he awake until daylight looked in at his door, and along with it a visitor.

visitor

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

From this reading Nor did he awake until daylight looked in at his door, and along with it a visitor.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "Jose!" he cried out in a tone of surprise in which pleasure was perceptible--"you here?"

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading "Jose!" he cried out in a tone of surprise in which pleasure was perceptible--"you here?"

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Nor did he awake until daylight looked in at his door, and along with it a visitor.

yo

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

From this reading "_Si, Senor; yo estoy_."

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Jose!" he cried out in a tone of surprise in which pleasure was perceptible--"you here?"