Chapter 8 of The Pony Rider Boys in the Alkali is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of The Pony Rider Boys in the Alkali is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide. "What has happened?" Butler cried as the two now raced along side by side. "As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad. "He went through when he struck the ground."
Chapter 8 of The Pony Rider Boys in the Alkali is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
any of various water-soluble compounds capable of turning litmus blue and reacting with an acid to form a salt and water
From this reading “NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide.”
a manservant (usually the head servant of a household) who has charge of wines and the table
From this reading “Butler cried as the two now raced along side by side.”
like or containing small sticky lumps
From this reading “"As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.”
the outer layer of the Earth
From this reading “"As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.”
past form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading “NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide.”
a range horse of the western United States
From this reading “"As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.”
past form of “race” — move hurridly
From this reading “Butler cried as the two now raced along side by side.”
a slight amount or degree of difference
From this reading “NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide.”
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.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
In this reading “"As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.”
In this reading “NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide.”
In this reading “Butler cried as the two now raced along side by side.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.
any of various water-soluble compounds capable of turning litmus blue and reacting with an acid to form a salt and water
From this reading NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide.
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Butler cried as the two now raced along side by side.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Butler cried as the two now raced along side by side.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.
a manservant (usually the head servant of a household) who has charge of wines and the table
From this reading Butler cried as the two now raced along side by side.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Butler cried as the two now raced along side by side.
like or containing small sticky lumps
From this reading "As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Butler cried as the two now raced along side by side.
the outer layer of the Earth
From this reading "As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide.
past form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading "He went through when he struck the ground."
someone employed to conduct others
From this reading NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading "What has happened?"
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What has happened?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "He went through when he struck the ground."
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Butler cried as the two now raced along side by side.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide.
a range horse of the western United States
From this reading "As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.
past form of “race” — move hurridly
From this reading Butler cried as the two now raced along side by side.
with speed
From this reading NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Butler cried as the two now raced along side by side.
fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading "He went through when he struck the ground."
a slight amount or degree of difference
From this reading NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide.
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading "As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading "As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Butler cried as the two now raced along side by side.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading NEARLY DROWNED IN AN ALKALI SINK Tad rapidly drew up on the guide.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What has happened?"
at the time that
From this reading "He went through when he struck the ground."
an affirmative
From this reading "As I said before, the pony went through a thin crust----" "Yes, but Chunky--what happened to him?" asked Tad.
Chapter 8 of The Pony Rider Boys in the Alkali by Frank Gee Patchin holds 215 sentences, grouped into 43 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 8 holds 215 sentences of The Pony Rider Boys in the Alkali, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The Pony Rider Boys in the Alkali by Frank Gee Patchin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 215 sentences, grouped into 43 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading The Pony Rider Boys in the Alkali by Frank Gee Patchin on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4014 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36423 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #36423, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 334 minutes of reading across 803 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Pony Rider Boys in the Alkali section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Pony Rider Boys in the Alkali to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Pony Rider Boys in the Alkali, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
