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The Hilltop Boys on the River
The Hilltop Boys on the River

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The Hilltop Boys on the River is here in full — 106 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Cyril Burleigh • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Hilltop Boys on the River
Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.
"That must have been the nurse you saw last night," said Dick.
"Yes, but I don't know the man.
He must be a bad character."
"Decidedly.
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 Hilltop Boys on the River

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The Hilltop Boys on the River is here in full — 106 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.
/əˈnʌðər ˈkleɪmənt fɔːr ðə wɑːtʃ ðə bɔɪz meɪd ðer weɪ daʊn tuː ðə maʊθ ʌv ðə kɪl ənd aʊt əˈpɑːn ðə ˈrɪvər noʊ mɔːr ˈbiːɪŋ sed kənˈsɜːrnɪŋ wʌt ðeɪ hæd hɜːrd ənˈtɪl ðeɪ wɜːr ɑːn ðə ˈrɪvər ˈɡlaɪdɪŋ daʊn striːm/
Line 2
"That must have been the nurse you saw last night," said Dick.
/ðæt mʌst hæv bɪn ðə nɜːrs juː sɔː læst naɪt sed dɪk/
Line 3
"Yes, but I don't know the man.
Line 4
He must be a bad character."
/hiː mʌst biː ə bæd ˈkerɪktər/
Line 5
"Decidedly.
/ˌdɪˈsaɪdədli/

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.

claimant noun US /ˈkleɪmənt/

someone who claims a benefit or right or title

From this reading “ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
concerning verb US /kənˈsɜːrnɪŋ/

-ing form of “concern” — be relevant to

From this reading “ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Decidedly adverb US /ˌdɪˈsaɪdədli/

without question and beyond doubt

From this reading “"Decidedly.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Dick noun US /dɪk/

someone who is a detective

From this reading “"That must have been the nurse you saw last night," said Dick.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gliding noun US /ˈɡlaɪdɪŋ/

the activity of flying a glider

From this reading “ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
kill verb US /kɪl/

cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly

From this reading “ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nurse verb US /nɜːrs/

try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury

From this reading “"That must have been the nurse you saw last night," said Dick.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stream noun US /striːm/

a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth

From this reading “ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 54

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading He must be a bad character."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ANOTHERdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading He must be a bad character."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading He must be a bad character."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading "That must have been the nurse you saw last night," said Dick.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "Yes, but I don't know the man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
characternounUS /ˈkerɪktər/

an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading He must be a bad character."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CLAIMANTnounUS /ˈkleɪmənt/

someone who claims a benefit or right or title

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
concerningverbUS /kənˈsɜːrnɪŋ/

-ing form of “concern” — be relevant to

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DecidedlyadverbUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪdədli/

without question and beyond doubt

From this reading "Decidedly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DicknounUS /dɪk/

someone who is a detective

From this reading "That must have been the nurse you saw last night," said Dick.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
don't

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

From this reading "Yes, but I don't know the man.

Pending verification
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FORprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
glidingnounUS /ˈɡlaɪdɪŋ/

the activity of flying a glider

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "That must have been the nurse you saw last night," said Dick.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He must be a bad character."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "Yes, but I don't know the man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
killverbUS /kɪl/

cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "Yes, but I don't know the man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading "That must have been the nurse you saw last night," said Dick.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading "Yes, but I don't know the man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mouthnounUS /maʊθ/

the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading "That must have been the nurse you saw last night," said Dick.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nightnounUS /naɪt/

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

From this reading "That must have been the nurse you saw last night," said Dick.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nurseverbUS /nɜːrs/

try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury

From this reading "That must have been the nurse you saw last night," said Dick.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading "That must have been the nurse you saw last night," said Dick.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
streamnounUS /striːm/

a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "That must have been the nurse you saw last night," said Dick.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WATCHverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading ANOTHER CLAIMANT FOR THE WATCH The boys made their way down to the mouth of the kill, and out upon the river, no more being said concerning what they had heard until they were on the river gliding down stream.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading "Yes, but I don't know the man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "That must have been the nurse you saw last night," said Dick.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 9 of The Hilltop Boys on the River by Cyril Burleigh holds 106 sentences, grouped into 22 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 9 of The Hilltop Boys on the River contain?

Chapter 9 holds 106 sentences of The Hilltop Boys on the River, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of The Hilltop Boys on the River by Cyril Burleigh exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 106 sentences, grouped into 22 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 9 of The Hilltop Boys on the River?

Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 22 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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.

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Vocabulary met early in The Hilltop Boys on the River

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Hilltop Boys on the River, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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