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The nugget finders
The nugget finders

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of The nugget finders is here in full — 219 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The nugget finders
Context Illustration Reading 1/43 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.
“Why, it’s nothing but a rock!” exclaimed the new-comer, with an oath.
The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.
“What does all this mean?” asked the new-comer sternly.
“If you are humbugging me, I’ll----” and he finished the sentence with an oath.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The nugget finders

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of The nugget finders is here in full — 219 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.
/ˈbæfəld kjuːˈpɪdɪti æn ɪkˈspreʃən ʌv sərˈpraɪz ənd dɪˈsmeɪ ˈɔːlmoʊst ˈluːdəkrəs əˈpɪrd ɑːn ðə ˈfeɪsəz ʌv ðə tuː ædˈventʃərərz æz ðə ˈkɑːntents ʌv ðə ˈhæŋkərtʃɪf wɜːr rɪˈviːld/
Line 2
“Why, it’s nothing but a rock!” exclaimed the new-comer, with an oath.
Line 3
The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.
/ðə θiːf sterd æt hɪm ɪn ˈhelpləs ˌkɑːnstərˈneɪʃən ənd wɑːz əˈneɪbəl tuː ˈʌtər ə wɜːrd/
Line 4
“What does all this mean?” asked the new-comer sternly.
Line 5
“If you are humbugging me, I’ll----” and he finished the sentence with an oath.

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.

adventurers noun US /ædˈventʃərərz/

plural of “adventurer” — a person who enjoys taking risks

From this reading “BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.”

baffled noun US /ˈbæfəld/

people who are frustrated and perplexed

From this reading “BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.”

consternation noun US /ˌkɑːnstərˈneɪʃən/

fear resulting from the awareness of danger

From this reading “The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.”

cupidity noun US /kjuːˈpɪdɪti/

extreme greed for material wealth

From this reading “BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.”

dismay noun US /dɪˈsmeɪ/

the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles

From this reading “BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.”

ludicrous adjective US /ˈluːdəkrəs/

broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce

From this reading “BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.”

sternly adverb US /ˈstɜːrnli/

with sternness; in a severe manner

From this reading ““What does all this mean?” asked the new-comer sternly.”

thief noun US /θiːf/

a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it

From this reading “The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.”

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.

utter a word verb + article + noun counted as “utter … word”

In this reading “The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.”

almost ludicrous adverb + adjective

In this reading “BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.”

stared at verb + particle counted as “stare at”

In this reading “The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.”

two adventurers noun + noun counted as “two adventurer”

In this reading “BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.”

with an oath preposition + article + noun counted as “with … oath”

In this reading ““Why, it’s nothing but a rock!” exclaimed the new-comer, with an oath.”

All words in this reading · 59

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 “Why, it’s nothing but a rock!” exclaimed the new-comer, with an oath.

adventurersnounUS /ædˈventʃərərz/

plural of “adventurer” — a person who enjoys taking risks

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading “What does all this mean?” asked the new-comer sternly.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

AndeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading “If you are humbugging me, I’ll----” and he finished the sentence with an oath.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

askedverbUS /æskt/

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

From this reading “What does all this mean?” asked the new-comer sternly.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.

BAFFLEDnounUS /ˈbæfəld/

people who are frustrated and perplexed

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “Why, it’s nothing but a rock!” exclaimed the new-comer, with an oath.

consternationnounUS /ˌkɑːnstərˈneɪʃən/

fear resulting from the awareness of danger

From this reading The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.

contentsnounUS /ˈkɑːntents/

(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

CUPIDITYnounUS /kjuːˈpɪdɪti/

extreme greed for material wealth

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

dismaynounUS /dɪˈsmeɪ/

the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading “What does all this mean?” asked the new-comer sternly.

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading “Why, it’s nothing but a rock!” exclaimed the new-comer, with an oath.

expressionnounUS /ɪkˈspreʃən/

the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

facesnounUS /ˈfeɪsəz/

plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

finishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪnɪʃt/

(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state

From this reading “If you are humbugging me, I’ll----” and he finished the sentence with an oath.

handkerchiefnounUS /ˈhæŋkərtʃɪf/

a square piece of cloth used for wiping the eyes or nose or as a costume accessory

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading “If you are humbugging me, I’ll----” and he finished the sentence with an oath.

helplessadjectiveUS /ˈhelpləs/

lacking in or deprived of strength or power

From this reading The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.

humbugging

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

From this reading “If you are humbugging me, I’ll----” and he finished the sentence with an oath.

I'll

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

From this reading “If you are humbugging me, I’ll----” and he finished the sentence with an oath.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading “If you are humbugging me, I’ll----” and he finished the sentence with an oath.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.

it's

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

From this reading “Why, it’s nothing but a rock!” exclaimed the new-comer, with an oath.

ludicrousadjectiveUS /ˈluːdəkrəs/

broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading “If you are humbugging me, I’ll----” and he finished the sentence with an oath.

meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading “What does all this mean?” asked the new-comer sternly.

new-comer

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

From this reading “Why, it’s nothing but a rock!” exclaimed the new-comer, with an oath.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading “Why, it’s nothing but a rock!” exclaimed the new-comer, with an oath.

oathnounUS /oʊθ/

profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger

From this reading “Why, it’s nothing but a rock!” exclaimed the new-comer, with an oath.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

revealedverbUS /rɪˈviːld/

past form of “reveal” — make visible

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

rocknounUS /rɑːk/

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading “Why, it’s nothing but a rock!” exclaimed the new-comer, with an oath.

sentencenounUS /ˈsentəns/

a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language

From this reading “If you are humbugging me, I’ll----” and he finished the sentence with an oath.

staredverbUS /sterd/

past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.

sternlyadverbUS /ˈstɜːrnli/

with sternness; in a severe manner

From this reading “What does all this mean?” asked the new-comer sternly.

surprisenounUS /sərˈpraɪz/

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

thiefnounUS /θiːf/

a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it

From this reading The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading “What does all this mean?” asked the new-comer sternly.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

unableadjectiveUS /əˈneɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how

From this reading The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.

utterverbUS /ˈʌtər/

articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise

From this reading The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading BAFFLED CUPIDITY An expression of surprise and dismay, almost ludicrous, appeared on the faces of the two adventurers as the contents of the handkerchief were revealed.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “What does all this mean?” asked the new-comer sternly.

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading “Why, it’s nothing but a rock!” exclaimed the new-comer, with an oath.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “Why, it’s nothing but a rock!” exclaimed the new-comer, with an oath.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading The thief stared at him in helpless consternation, and was unable to utter a word.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “If you are humbugging me, I’ll----” and he finished the sentence with an oath.

Chapter 14 of The nugget finders by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 219 sentences, grouped into 44 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 14 of The nugget finders contain?

Chapter 14 holds 219 sentences of The nugget finders, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of The nugget finders by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 219 sentences, grouped into 44 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 14 of The nugget finders?

Work through the 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 44 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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.