Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The nugget finders
The nugget finders

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The nugget finders is here in full — 306 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The nugget finders
Context Illustration Reading 1/61 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LOST IN THE WOODS Yes, the boys had escaped.
When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.
He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.
But he felt that to stay was to run a risk as great--that of being compelled to join the ranks of the bushrangers, and of that he had a great dread.
They never stopped running till they had set half a mile between them and the camp of the bushrangers.
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 nugget finders

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The nugget finders is here in full — 306 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/61 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LOST IN THE WOODS Yes, the boys had escaped.
/lɔːst ɪn ðə wʊdz jes ðə bɔɪz hæd ɪˈskeɪpt/
Line 2
When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.
/wen ðə ɪkˈsaɪtmənt prəˈduːst baɪ ðə ˈfeɪtəl ʃɑːt wɑːz æt ɪts haɪt ɪt hæd flæʃt əˈpɑːn ˈheri laɪk æn ˌɪnspərˈeɪʃən ðæt ðen ɪf ˈevər wɑːz ðə taɪm tuː ɪˈskeɪp/
Line 3
He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.
/hiː nuː ðæt ɪt wʊd biː æt ðə rɪsk ʌv ðer lɪvz ənd bʌt fɔːr wʌn kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃən ɪt ɪz ˈdaʊtfəl ɪf hiː wʊd hæv bɪn ˈwɪlɪŋ tuː ˌɪnˈkɜːr ðə ˈperəl ʌv ðə əˈtempt/
Line 4
But he felt that to stay was to run a risk as great--that of being compelled to join the ranks of the bushrangers, and of that he had a great dread.
Line 5
They never stopped running till they had set half a mile between them and the camp of the bushrangers.

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.

consideration noun US /kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃən/

the process of giving careful thought to something

From this reading “He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.”

doubtful adjective US /ˈdaʊtfəl/

open to doubt or suspicion

From this reading “He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.”

dread noun US /dred/

fearful expectation or anticipation

From this reading “But he felt that to stay was to run a risk as great--that of being compelled to join the ranks of the bushrangers, and of that he had a great dread.”

fatal adjective US /ˈfeɪtəl/

bringing death

From this reading “When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.”

incur verb US /ˌɪnˈkɜːr/

make oneself subject to; bring upon oneself; become liable to

From this reading “He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.”

inspiration noun US /ˌɪnspərˈeɪʃən/

arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity

From this reading “When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.”

peril noun US /ˈperəl/

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

From this reading “He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.”

ranks noun US /ræŋks/

plural of “rank” — a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another

From this reading “But he felt that to stay was to run a risk as great--that of being compelled to join the ranks of the bushrangers, and of that he had a great dread.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

run a risk verb + article + noun counted as “run … risk”

take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome

In this reading “But he felt that to stay was to run a risk as great--that of being compelled to join the ranks of the bushrangers, and of that he had a great dread.”

flashed upon verb + particle counted as “flash upon”

In this reading “When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.”

produced by verb + particle counted as “produce by”

In this reading “When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.”

IN THE WOODS preposition + article + noun counted as “in … woods”

In this reading “LOST IN THE WOODS Yes, the boys had escaped.”

at the risk preposition + article + noun counted as “at … risk”

In this reading “He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.”

All words in this reading · 76

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 But he felt that to stay was to run a risk as great--that of being compelled to join the ranks of the bushrangers, and of that he had a great dread.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading But he felt that to stay was to run a risk as great--that of being compelled to join the ranks of the bushrangers, and of that he had a great dread.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

attemptnounUS /əˈtempt/

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading But he felt that to stay was to run a risk as great--that of being compelled to join the ranks of the bushrangers, and of that he had a great dread.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading They never stopped running till they had set half a mile between them and the camp of the bushrangers.

boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading LOST IN THE WOODS Yes, the boys had escaped.

bushrangers

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

From this reading But he felt that to stay was to run a risk as great--that of being compelled to join the ranks of the bushrangers, and of that he had a great dread.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

campnounUS /kæmp/

temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers

From this reading They never stopped running till they had set half a mile between them and the camp of the bushrangers.

compelledverbUS /kəmˈpeld/

inflected form of “compel” — force somebody to do something

From this reading But he felt that to stay was to run a risk as great--that of being compelled to join the ranks of the bushrangers, and of that he had a great dread.

considerationnounUS /kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃən/

the process of giving careful thought to something

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

doubtfuladjectiveUS /ˈdaʊtfəl/

open to doubt or suspicion

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

dreadnounUS /dred/

fearful expectation or anticipation

From this reading But he felt that to stay was to run a risk as great--that of being compelled to join the ranks of the bushrangers, and of that he had a great dread.

escapenounUS /ɪˈskeɪp/

the act of escaping physically

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

escapedadjectiveUS /ɪˈskeɪpt/

having escaped, especially from confinement

From this reading LOST IN THE WOODS Yes, the boys had escaped.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

excitementnounUS /ɪkˈsaɪtmənt/

the feeling of lively and cheerful joy

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

fataladjectiveUS /ˈfeɪtəl/

bringing death

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading But he felt that to stay was to run a risk as great--that of being compelled to join the ranks of the bushrangers, and of that he had a great dread.

flashedverbUS /flæʃt/

past form of “flash” — gleam or glow intermittently

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading But he felt that to stay was to run a risk as great--that of being compelled to join the ranks of the bushrangers, and of that he had a great dread.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading LOST IN THE WOODS Yes, the boys had escaped.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading They never stopped running till they had set half a mile between them and the camp of the bushrangers.

HarryverbUS /ˈheri/

annoy continually or chronically

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

heightnounUS /haɪt/

the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading LOST IN THE WOODS Yes, the boys had escaped.

incurverbUS /ˌɪnˈkɜːr/

make oneself subject to; bring upon oneself; become liable to

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

inspirationnounUS /ˌɪnspərˈeɪʃən/

arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

joinverbUS /dʒɔɪn/

become part of; become a member of a group or organization

From this reading But he felt that to stay was to run a risk as great--that of being compelled to join the ranks of the bushrangers, and of that he had a great dread.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

livesnounUS /lɪvz/

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

LOSTadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading LOST IN THE WOODS Yes, the boys had escaped.

milenounUS /maɪl/

a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading They never stopped running till they had set half a mile between them and the camp of the bushrangers.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading They never stopped running till they had set half a mile between them and the camp of the bushrangers.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

perilnounUS /ˈperəl/

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

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

producedverbUS /prəˈduːst/

past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

ranksnounUS /ræŋks/

plural of “rank” — a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another

From this reading But he felt that to stay was to run a risk as great--that of being compelled to join the ranks of the bushrangers, and of that he had a great dread.

risknounUS /rɪsk/

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

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading But he felt that to stay was to run a risk as great--that of being compelled to join the ranks of the bushrangers, and of that he had a great dread.

runningadjectiveUS /ˈrʌnɪŋ/

(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream

From this reading They never stopped running till they had set half a mile between them and the camp of the bushrangers.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading They never stopped running till they had set half a mile between them and the camp of the bushrangers.

shotnounUS /ʃɑːt/

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

stayverbUS /steɪ/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading But he felt that to stay was to run a risk as great--that of being compelled to join the ranks of the bushrangers, and of that he had a great dread.

stoppedadjectiveUS /stɑːpt/

(of a nose) blocked

From this reading They never stopped running till they had set half a mile between them and the camp of the bushrangers.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading LOST IN THE WOODS Yes, the boys had escaped.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading They never stopped running till they had set half a mile between them and the camp of the bushrangers.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They never stopped running till they had set half a mile between them and the camp of the bushrangers.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading They never stopped running till they had set half a mile between them and the camp of the bushrangers.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When the excitement produced by the fatal shot was at its height, it had flashed upon Harry like an inspiration that then, if ever, was the time to escape.

willingadjectiveUS /ˈwɪlɪŋ/

disposed or inclined toward

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

WOODSnounUS /wʊdz/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading LOST IN THE WOODS Yes, the boys had escaped.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading He knew that it would be at the risk of their lives, and but for one consideration it is doubtful if he would have been willing to incur the peril of the attempt.

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading LOST IN THE WOODS Yes, the boys had escaped.

Chapter 8 of The nugget finders by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 306 sentences, grouped into 62 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 nugget finders contain?

Chapter 8 holds 306 sentences of The nugget finders, unabridged, divided into 62 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The nugget finders by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 306 sentences, grouped into 62 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 nugget finders?

Work through the 62 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 62 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 nugget finders

Common questions about reading The nugget finders by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The nugget finders?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The nugget finders is used?

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

How long does The nugget finders take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The nugget finders section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of The nugget finders 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 nugget finders

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

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The nugget finders, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of The nugget finders, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of The nugget finders, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.