Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Lords of the Wild
The Lords of the Wild

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Lords of the Wild is here in full — 346 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Lords of the Wild
Context Illustration Reading 1/69 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.
So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.
"I was led the right way by a bird, one that sang," he said.
"Your Manitou, Tayoga, sent that bird to save me."
"You don't really believe it came for that special purpose?" asked the hunter.
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 Lords of the Wild

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Lords of the Wild is here in full — 346 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/69 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.
Line 2
So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.
Line 3
"I was led the right way by a bird, one that sang," he said.
/aɪ wɑːz led ðə raɪt weɪ baɪ ə bɜːrd wʌn ðæt sæŋ hiː sed/
Line 4
"Your Manitou, Tayoga, sent that bird to save me."
Line 5
"You don't really believe it came for that special purpose?" asked the hunter.

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.

bulk noun US /bʌlk/

the property resulting from being or relating to the greater in number of two parts; the main part

From this reading “Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.”

canoes noun US /kəˈnuːz/

plural of “canoe” — small and light boat; pointed at both ends; propelled with a paddle

From this reading “Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.”

hunter noun US /ˈhʌntər/

someone who hunts game

From this reading “"You don't really believe it came for that special purpose?" asked the hunter.”

Indians noun US /ˈɪndiənz/

plural of “indian” — a native or inhabitant of India

From this reading “Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.”

peril noun US /ˈperəl/

a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune

From this reading “Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.”

pursuit noun US /pərˈsuːt/

the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture

From this reading “So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.”

sang noun US /sæŋ/

North American woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the Chinese ginseng

From this reading “"I was led the right way by a bird, one that sang," he said.”

special adjective US /ˈspeʃəl/

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading “"You don't really believe it came for that special purpose?" asked the hunter.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 "I was led the right way by a bird, one that sang," he said.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

Andiatarocte

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

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

askedverbUS /æskt/

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

From this reading "You don't really believe it came for that special purpose?" asked the hunter.

awareadjectiveUS /əˈwer/

(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading "You don't really believe it came for that special purpose?" asked the hunter.

birdnounUS /bɜːrd/

warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading "I was led the right way by a bird, one that sang," he said.

bulknounUS /bʌlk/

the property resulting from being or relating to the greater in number of two parts; the main part

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "I was led the right way by a bird, one that sang," he said.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading "You don't really believe it came for that special purpose?" asked the hunter.

canoesnounUS /kəˈnuːz/

plural of “canoe” — small and light boat; pointed at both ends; propelled with a paddle

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

consideredadjectiveUS /kənˈsɪdərd/

carefully weighed

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

don't

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

From this reading "You don't really believe it came for that special purpose?" asked the hunter.

escapedadjectiveUS /ɪˈskeɪpt/

having escaped, especially from confinement

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "You don't really believe it came for that special purpose?" asked the hunter.

fullyadverbUS /ˈfʊli/

to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

hunternounUS /ˈhʌntər/

someone who hunts game

From this reading "You don't really believe it came for that special purpose?" asked the hunter.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I was led the right way by a bird, one that sang," he said.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

IndiansnounUS /ˈɪndiənz/

plural of “indian” — a native or inhabitant of India

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

lakenounUS /leɪk/

a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

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 "I was led the right way by a bird, one that sang," he said.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

Manitou

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

From this reading "Your Manitou, Tayoga, sent that bird to save me."

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Your Manitou, Tayoga, sent that bird to save me."

middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "I was led the right way by a bird, one that sang," he said.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

perilnounUS /ˈperəl/

a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

purposenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəs/

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading "You don't really believe it came for that special purpose?" asked the hunter.

pursuitnounUS /pərˈsuːt/

the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading "You don't really believe it came for that special purpose?" asked the hunter.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading "I was led the right way by a bird, one that sang," he said.

RobertnounUS /ˈrɑːbərt/

United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I was led the right way by a bird, one that sang," he said.

sangnounUS /sæŋ/

North American woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the Chinese ginseng

From this reading "I was led the right way by a bird, one that sang," he said.

saveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading "Your Manitou, Tayoga, sent that bird to save me."

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading "Your Manitou, Tayoga, sent that bird to save me."

shotnounUS /ʃɑːt/

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

specialadjectiveUS /ˈspeʃəl/

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading "You don't really believe it came for that special purpose?" asked the hunter.

talkedverbUS /tɔːkt/

past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

Tayoga

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

From this reading "Your Manitou, Tayoga, sent that bird to save me."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Your Manitou, Tayoga, sent that bird to save me."

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading "I was led the right way by a bird, one that sang," he said.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading So his heart was light, and, as they shot out toward the middle of Andiatarocte, he talked of the pursuit and the manner in which he had escaped it.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Robert was fully aware that their peril was not yet over--the Indians, too, might have canoes upon the lake--but he considered that the bulk of it had passed.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You don't really believe it came for that special purpose?" asked the hunter.

YourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Your Manitou, Tayoga, sent that bird to save me."

Chapter 1 of The Lords of the Wild by Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler holds 346 sentences, grouped into 70 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 1 of The Lords of the Wild contain?

Chapter 1 holds 346 sentences of The Lords of the Wild, unabridged, divided into 70 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Lords of the Wild by Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 346 sentences, grouped into 70 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 1 of The Lords of the Wild?

Work through the 70 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 70 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Lords of the Wild

Common questions about reading The Lords of the Wild by Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Lords of the Wild?

Yes. All 4612 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11961 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Lords of the Wild is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #11961, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Lords of the Wild take to read?

About 384 minutes of reading across 923 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Lords of the Wild section by section

How to work through The Lords of the Wild section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Lords of the Wild 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 Lords of the Wild

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Lords of the Wild, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Robert
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lords of the Wild; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fully
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lords of the Wild; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Aware
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lords of the Wild; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Peril
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lords of the Wild; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.