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The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas
The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas is here in full — 293 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas
Context Illustration Reading 1/58 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.
--LONGFELLOW.
It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.
Dr. Hemingway was at the rope in the belfry.
His part was to give us our signal.
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 Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas is here in full — 293 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/58 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.
/ðə kɑːst ʌv ˈseɪfti ɪn ðə dɑːrk ənd ˈtraɪɪŋ ˈaʊər ɪn ðə ˈbreɪkɪŋ fɔːrθ ʌv ˈpaʊər ɪn ðə rʌʃ ʌv stiːdz ənd men hɪz raɪt hænd wɪl ʃiːld ðiː ðen/
Line 2
--LONGFELLOW.
/ˈlɔːŋfeloʊ/
Line 3
It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.
Line 4
Dr. Hemingway was at the rope in the belfry.
Line 5
His part was to give us our signal.
/hɪz pɑːrt wɑːz tuː ɡɪv ʌs ˈaʊər ˈsɪɡnəl/

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.

belfry noun US /ˈbelfri/

a bell tower; usually stands alone unattached to a building

From this reading “Dr. Hemingway was at the rope in the belfry.”

Hemingway noun US /ˈhemɪŋweɪ/

an American writer of fiction who won the Nobel prize for literature in 1954 (1899-1961)

From this reading “Dr. Hemingway was at the rope in the belfry.”

longfellow noun US /ˈlɔːŋfeloʊ/

United States poet remembered for his long narrative poems (1807-1882)

From this reading “--LONGFELLOW.”

Presbyterian noun US /ˌpresbɪˈtɪriən/

a follower of Calvinism as taught in the Presbyterian Church

From this reading “It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.”

shield noun US /ʃiːld/

a protective covering or structure

From this reading “THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.”

signal noun US /ˈsɪɡnəl/

any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message

From this reading “His part was to give us our signal.”

steeds noun US /stiːdz/

plural of “steed” — (literary) a spirited horse for state of war

From this reading “THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.”

steeple noun US /ˈstiːpəl/

a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the top

From this reading “It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

Church steeple noun + noun

In this reading “It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.”

half past adjective + noun

In this reading “It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.”

in the belfry preposition + article + noun counted as “in … belfry”

In this reading “Dr. Hemingway was at the rope in the belfry.”

In the dark preposition + article + noun counted as “in … dark”

In this reading “THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.”

rush of verb + particle

In this reading “THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.”

All words in this reading · 49

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Dr. Hemingway was at the rope in the belfry.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.

belfrynounUS /ˈbelfri/

a bell tower; usually stands alone unattached to a building

From this reading Dr. Hemingway was at the rope in the belfry.

bellnounUS /bel/

a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.

breakingnounUS /ˈbreɪkɪŋ/

the act of breaking something

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

ChurchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.

COSTnounUS /kɑːst/

the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

Dr

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

From this reading Dr. Hemingway was at the rope in the belfry.

forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading His part was to give us our signal.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

HemingwaynounUS /ˈhemɪŋweɪ/

an American writer of fiction who won the Nobel prize for literature in 1954 (1899-1961)

From this reading Dr. Hemingway was at the rope in the belfry.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.

LONGFELLOWnounUS /ˈlɔːŋfeloʊ/

United States poet remembered for his long narrative poems (1807-1882)

From this reading --LONGFELLOW.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading His part was to give us our signal.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading His part was to give us our signal.

pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.

powernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

PresbyteriannounUS /ˌpresbɪˈtɪriən/

a follower of Calvinism as taught in the Presbyterian Church

From this reading It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

ringverbUS /rɪŋ/

sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.

ropenounUS /roʊp/

a strong line

From this reading Dr. Hemingway was at the rope in the belfry.

rushverbUS /rʌʃ/

move hurridly

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

SAFETYnounUS /ˈseɪfti/

the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

shieldnounUS /ʃiːld/

a protective covering or structure

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

signalnounUS /ˈsɪɡnəl/

any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message

From this reading His part was to give us our signal.

steedsnounUS /stiːdz/

plural of “steed” — (literary) a spirited horse for state of war

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

steeplenounUS /ˈstiːpəl/

a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the top

From this reading It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.

sweet-toned

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

From this reading It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

theepronounUS /ðiː/

an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.

tryingadjectiveUS /ˈtraɪɪŋ/

hard to endure

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading His part was to give us our signal.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It was just half past one o'clock when the sweet-toned bell in the Presbyterian Church steeple began to ring.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading THE COST OF SAFETY In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, His right hand will shield thee then.

Chapter 9 of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas by Margaret Hill McCarter holds 293 sentences, grouped into 59 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 9 of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas contain?

Chapter 9 holds 293 sentences of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas, unabridged, divided into 59 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas by Margaret Hill McCarter exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 293 sentences, grouped into 59 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 9 of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas?

Work through the 59 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 59 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas

Common questions about reading The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas by Margaret Hill McCarter on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas?

Yes. All 9129 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31524 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #31524, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1826 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas section by section

How to work through The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cottonwood's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cuddy's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.