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The Peril Finders
The Peril Finders

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of The Peril Finders is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Peril Finders
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.
"All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, and sounding hollow and strange.
The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.
THE OLDEN FOLK.
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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 Peril Finders

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of The Peril Finders is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.
Line 2
"All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, and sounding hollow and strange.
Line 3
The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.
Line 4
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.
/ˈtʃæptər ˈθɜːrdiː fɔːr/
Line 5
THE OLDEN FOLK.
/ðə ˈoʊldən foʊk/

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.

adventurer noun US /ædˈventʃərər/

a person who enjoys taking risks

From this reading “The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.”

chests noun US /tʃests/

plural of “chest” — the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates

From this reading “The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.”

echoing adjective US /ˈekoʊɪŋ/

(of sounds) repeating by reflection

From this reading “The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.”

fainter adjective US /ˈfeɪntər/

comparative of “faint” — deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc

From this reading “The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.”

fellow's noun US /ˈfeloʊz/

possessive form of “fellow” — a boy or man

From this reading “The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.”

holders noun US /ˈhoʊldərz/

plural of “holder” — a holding device

From this reading “The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.”

olden adjective US /ˈoʊldən/

relating to time long past

From this reading “THE OLDEN FOLK.”

tug verb US /tʌɡ/

pull hard

From this reading “The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.”

All words in this reading · 107

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 The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

adventurernounUS /ædˈventʃərər/

a person who enjoys taking risks

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

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 "All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, and sounding hollow and strange.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

blocknounUS /blɑːk/

a solid piece of something (usually having flat rectangular sides)

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

braveadjectiveUS /breɪv/

possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

CHAPTERnounUS /ˈtʃæptər/

a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

chestsnounUS /tʃests/

plural of “chest” — the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

Chris

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

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading "All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, and sounding hollow and strange.

companionnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

crashverbUS /kræʃ/

fall or come down violently

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

descendingadjectiveUS /dɪˈsendɪŋ/

coming down or downward

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

descentnounUS /dɪˈsent/

An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

directlyadverbUS /dərˈektli/

without deviation

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

doctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

drawnadjectiveUS /drɔːn/

showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

easyadjectiveUS /ˈiːzi/

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading "All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, and sounding hollow and strange.

echoingadjectiveUS /ˈekoʊɪŋ/

(of sounds) repeating by reflection

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

fainteradjectiveUS /ˈfeɪntər/

comparative of “faint” — deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

fellow'snounUS /ˈfeloʊz/

possessive form of “fellow” — a boy or man

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

FOLKnounUS /foʊk/

people in general (often used in the plural)

From this reading THE OLDEN FOLK.

formnounUS /fɔːrm/

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

FOURnounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

givingnounUS /ˈɡɪvɪŋ/

the act of giving

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

glidedverbUS /ˈɡlaɪdɪd/

past form of “glide” — move smoothly and effortlessly

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

gloomnounUS /ɡluːm/

a state of partial or total darkness

From this reading "All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, and sounding hollow and strange.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading "All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, and sounding hollow and strange.

Griggs

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

From this reading "All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, and sounding hollow and strange.

growingnounUS /ˈɡroʊɪŋ/

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

half-way

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

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

harshadjectiveUS /hɑːrʃ/

unpleasantly stern

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

holdersnounUS /ˈhoʊldərz/

plural of “holder” — a holding device

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

hollowadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːloʊ/

not solid; having a space or gap or cavity

From this reading "All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, and sounding hollow and strange.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

loweredadjectiveUS /ˈloʊərd/

below the surround or below the normal position

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

minutenounUS /ˈmɪnət/

a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

Ned

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

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, and sounding hollow and strange.

OLDENadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldən/

relating to time long past

From this reading THE OLDEN FOLK.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

others

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

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, and sounding hollow and strange.

plungingverbUS /ˈplʌndʒɪŋ/

-ing form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

raspingadjective

unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

roarverbUS /rɔːr/

make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

ropenounUS /roʊp/

a strong line

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, and sounding hollow and strange.

secondsnounUS /ˈsekəndz/

plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

soundingadjectiveUS /ˈsaʊndɪŋ/

appearing to be as specified; usually used as combining forms

From this reading "All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, and sounding hollow and strange.

steadilyadverbUS /ˈstedəli/

at a steady rate or pace

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

steppedverbUS /stept/

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

stonenounUS /stoʊn/

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

strainnounUS /streɪn/

(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading "All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, and sounding hollow and strange.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

thirdnounUS /θɜːrd/

one of three equal parts of a divisible whole

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

THIRTYnounUS /ˈθɜːrdiː/

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three

From this reading CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

tugverbUS /tʌɡ/

pull hard

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading "All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, and sounding hollow and strange.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

violentadjectiveUS /ˈvaɪələnt/

acting with or marked by or resulting from great force or energy or emotional intensity

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading "All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, and sounding hollow and strange.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep, echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders' hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third, while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave fellow's descent.

Chapter 16 of The Peril Finders by George Manville Fenn holds 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 16 of The Peril Finders contain?

Chapter 16 holds 398 sentences of The Peril Finders, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of The Peril Finders by George Manville Fenn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 16 of The Peril Finders?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 Peril Finders

Common questions about reading The Peril Finders by George Manville Fenn on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Peril Finders?

Yes. All 9857 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25429 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Peril Finders is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #25429, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Peril Finders take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1972 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Peril Finders section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Peril 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 Peril Finders

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

Peril
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Peril Finders; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Finders
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Peril Finders; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
George
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Peril Finders; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Manville
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Peril Finders; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.