Chapter 4 of The Mystery of The Barranca is here in full — 164 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Mystery of The Barranca is here in full — 164 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move. "Billy!" Seyd's command rang out sharply. "Dismount and lie down. It's our only chance."
Chapter 4 of The Mystery of The Barranca is here in full — 164 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
possessive form of “billy” — a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading “Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.”
plural of “burro” — small donkey used as a pack animal
From this reading “Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.”
past form of “doubt” — consider unlikely or have doubts about
From this reading “Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.”
any state or process known through the senses rather than by intuition or reasoning
From this reading “Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.”
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading “Seyd's command rang out sharply.”
in an aggressive manner
From this reading “Seyd's command rang out sharply.”
plural of “shout” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading “Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.”
the Romance language spoken in most of Spain and the countries colonized by Spain
From this reading “Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
assume a reclining position
In this reading “"Dismount and lie down.”
sound loudly
In this reading “Seyd's command rang out sharply.”
In this reading “Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.”
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.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading "Billy!"
possessive form of “billy” — a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
plural of “burro” — small donkey used as a pack animal
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading It's our only chance."
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading Seyd's command rang out sharply.
alight from (a horse)
From this reading "Dismount and lie down.
past form of “doubt” — consider unlikely or have doubts about
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "Dismount and lie down.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It's our only chance."
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading "Dismount and lie down.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
and nothing more
From this reading It's our only chance."
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading It's our only chance."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Seyd's command rang out sharply.
any state or process known through the senses rather than by intuition or reasoning
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading Seyd's command rang out sharply.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
in an aggressive manner
From this reading Seyd's command rang out sharply.
plural of “shout” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
the Romance language spoken in most of Spain and the countries colonized by Spain
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
not in physical motion
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
come to a halt, stop moving
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
at the time that
From this reading Although he had always doubted the phenomenon, Billy's hair stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Spanish to stop, the burros still came on he felt his cap move.
Chapter 4 of The Mystery of The Barranca by Herman Whitaker holds 164 sentences, grouped into 33 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 4 holds 164 sentences of The Mystery of The Barranca, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Mystery of The Barranca by Herman Whitaker exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 164 sentences, grouped into 33 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 33 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading The Mystery of The Barranca by Herman Whitaker on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4042 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36198 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #36198, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 336 minutes of reading across 809 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Mystery of The Barranca section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Mystery of The Barranca to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Mystery of The Barranca, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
