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

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The outlaw of Torn is here in full — 69 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The outlaw of Torn
Context Illustration Reading 1/13 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.
Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.
The little Prince was now so terrified that he could but tremble and whimper in his fright.
So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.
De Vac did not dare remain in this retreat until dark, as he had first intended.
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 outlaw of Torn

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The outlaw of Torn is here in full — 69 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.
Line 2
Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.
Line 3
The little Prince was now so terrified that he could but tremble and whimper in his fright.
Line 4
So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.
Line 5
De Vac did not dare remain in this retreat until dark, as he had first intended.

All words in this reading · 88

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.

a

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

alive

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

all

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

and

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

As

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

back

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

been

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

boat

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

bushes

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

but

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

From this reading The little Prince was now so terrified that he could but tremble and whimper in his fright.

city

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

could

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

From this reading The little Prince was now so terrified that he could but tremble and whimper in his fright.

cruel

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

dare

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

From this reading De Vac did not dare remain in this retreat until dark, as he had first intended.

dark

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

From this reading De Vac did not dare remain in this retreat until dark, as he had first intended.

De

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

death

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

deep

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

dense

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

did

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

From this reading De Vac did not dare remain in this retreat until dark, as he had first intended.

down

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

drew

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

easily

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

escape

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

far

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

fearful

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

first

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

From this reading De Vac did not dare remain in this retreat until dark, as he had first intended.

for

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

fright

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

From this reading The little Prince was now so terrified that he could but tremble and whimper in his fright.

from

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

gone

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

grim

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

guard

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

had

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

have

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

he

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

heart

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

heels

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

hidden

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

him

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

his

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

however

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

in

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

intended

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

From this reading De Vac did not dare remain in this retreat until dark, as he had first intended.

Lady

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

led

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

left

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

little

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

From this reading The little Prince was now so terrified that he could but tremble and whimper in his fright.

London

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

man

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

Maud

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

merciless

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

minutes

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

no

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

not

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

From this reading De Vac did not dare remain in this retreat until dark, as he had first intended.

now

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

of

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

old

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

on

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

palace

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

Prince

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

From this reading The little Prince was now so terrified that he could but tremble and whimper in his fright.

remain

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

From this reading De Vac did not dare remain in this retreat until dark, as he had first intended.

retreat

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

From this reading De Vac did not dare remain in this retreat until dark, as he had first intended.

shrunk

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

so

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

From this reading The little Prince was now so terrified that he could but tremble and whimper in his fright.

stilled

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

sword

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

task

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

ten

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

terrible

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

terrified

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

From this reading The little Prince was now so terrified that he could but tremble and whimper in his fright.

that

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

From this reading The little Prince was now so terrified that he could but tremble and whimper in his fright.

the

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

there

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

this

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

though

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

threat

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

to

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

tongue

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

From this reading So fearful was he of the terrible De Vac that a threat of death easily stilled his tongue, and so the grim, old man led him to the boat hidden deep in the dense bushes.

Too

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

tremble

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

From this reading The little Prince was now so terrified that he could but tremble and whimper in his fright.

until

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

From this reading De Vac did not dare remain in this retreat until dark, as he had first intended.

Vac

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

was

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

whimper

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

From this reading The little Prince was now so terrified that he could but tremble and whimper in his fright.

whole

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

winced

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

From this reading As De Vac drew his sword from the heart of the Lady Maud, he winced, for, merciless though he was, he had shrunk from this cruel task.

would

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

From this reading Too far he had gone, however, to back down now, and, had he left the Lady Maud alive, the whole of the palace guard and all the city of London would have been on his heels in ten minutes; there would have been no escape.

Chapter 4 of The outlaw of Torn by Edgar Rice Burroughs holds 69 sentences, grouped into 14 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 4 of The outlaw of Torn contain?

Chapter 4 holds 69 sentences of The outlaw of Torn, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The outlaw of Torn by Edgar Rice Burroughs exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 69 sentences, grouped into 14 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 4 of The outlaw of Torn?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 4 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The outlaw of Torn

Common questions about reading The outlaw of Torn by Edgar Rice Burroughs on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The outlaw of Torn?

Yes. All 2780 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #369 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The outlaw of Torn is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #369, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The outlaw of Torn take to read?

About 231 minutes of reading across 556 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The outlaw of Torn section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 19 chapters of The outlaw of Torn 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 outlaw of Torn

Words and structures a reader meets early in The outlaw of Torn, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The outlaw of Torn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dormant
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The outlaw of Torn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Seven
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The outlaw of Torn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hundred
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The outlaw of Torn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.