The Quest of the Four

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of The Quest of the Four is here in full — 319 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Quest of the Four

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

From left to right came shouts, the yells of the Indians and the fierce cries of the Mexicans.

"Bend low," cried Middleton, "and we may escape their bullets!"

Phil lay almost upon his horse’s neck, but it was an unconscious act.

He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

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Chapter IX Reading 1/63

The Quest of the Four

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of The Quest of the Four is here in full — 319 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/63 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

Line 2

From left to right came shouts, the yells of the Indians and the fierce cries of the Mexicans.

/frʌm left tuː raɪt keɪm ʃaʊts ðə jelz ʌv ðə ˈɪndiənz ənd ðə fɪrs kraɪz ʌv ðə ˈmeksɪkənz/

Line 3

"Bend low," cried Middleton, "and we may escape their bullets!"

/bend loʊ kraɪd ˈmɪdəltən ənd wiː meɪ ɪˈskeɪp ðer ˈbʊləts/

Line 4

Phil lay almost upon his horse’s neck, but it was an unconscious act.

Line 5

He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

/hiː wɑːz ˈθrɪlɪŋ wɪð ɪkˈsaɪtmənt æz ðə fɔːr ˈhɔːrsmən ˈɔːlmoʊst kloʊv ðə ˈmɔːrnɪŋ mɪst ənd roʊd ɑːn swɪft hʊfs streɪt təˈwɔːrd ðə ˈwæɡən treɪn/

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.

broadened verb US /ˈbrɔːdənd/

past form of “broaden” — make broader

From this reading “THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.”

clove noun US /kloʊv/

aromatic flower bud of a clove tree; yields a spice

From this reading “He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.”

horse's noun US /ˈhɔːrsəz/

possessive form of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

horsemen noun US /ˈhɔːrsmən/

plural of “horseman” — a man skilled in equitation

From this reading “He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.”

Mexicans noun US /ˈmeksɪkənz/

plural of “mexican” — a native or inhabitant of Mexico

From this reading “From left to right came shouts, the yells of the Indians and the fierce cries of the Mexicans.”

Middleton noun US /ˈmɪdəltən/

English playwright and pamphleteer (1570-1627)

From this reading “"Bend low," cried Middleton, "and we may escape their bullets!"”

thundered verb US /ˈθʌndərd/

past form of “thunder” — move fast, noisily, and heavily

From this reading “THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.”

yells noun US /jelz/

plural of “yell” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition

From this reading “From left to right came shouts, the yells of the Indians and the fierce cries of the Mexicans.”

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.

broadened into verb + particle counted as “broaden into”

In this reading “THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.”

thin gray adjective + noun

In this reading “THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.”

with excitement preposition + noun

In this reading “He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.”

rode on verb + particle counted as “ride on”

In this reading “He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.”

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

In this reading “THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.”

All words in this reading · 69

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 FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

actverbUS /ækt/

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading Phil lay almost upon his horse’s neck, but it was an unconscious act.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

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

From this reading Phil lay almost upon his horse’s neck, but it was an unconscious act.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Phil lay almost upon his horse’s neck, but it was an unconscious act.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading From left to right came shouts, the yells of the Indians and the fierce cries of the Mexicans.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

barnounUS /bɑːr/

a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

BendverbUS /bend/

form a curve

From this reading "Bend low," cried Middleton, "and we may escape their bullets!"

broadenedverbUS /ˈbrɔːdənd/

past form of “broaden” — make broader

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

bulletsnounUS /ˈbʊləts/

plural of “bullet” — a projectile that is fired from a gun

From this reading "Bend low," cried Middleton, "and we may escape their bullets!"

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Phil lay almost upon his horse’s neck, but it was an unconscious act.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading From left to right came shouts, the yells of the Indians and the fierce cries of the Mexicans.

CIRCLEnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəl/

ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

clovenounUS /kloʊv/

aromatic flower bud of a clove tree; yields a spice

From this reading He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading "Bend low," cried Middleton, "and we may escape their bullets!"

criesnounUS /kraɪz/

plural of “cry” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition

From this reading From left to right came shouts, the yells of the Indians and the fierce cries of the Mexicans.

eastnounUS /iːst/

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

escapenounUS /ɪˈskeɪp/

the act of escaping physically

From this reading "Bend low," cried Middleton, "and we may escape their bullets!"

excitementnounUS /ɪkˈsaɪtmənt/

the feeling of lively and cheerful joy

From this reading He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

fierceadjectiveUS /fɪrs/

marked by extreme and violent energy

From this reading From left to right came shouts, the yells of the Indians and the fierce cries of the Mexicans.

FIERYadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪəri/

characterized by intense emotion

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From left to right came shouts, the yells of the Indians and the fierce cries of the Mexicans.

graynounUS /ɡreɪ/

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Phil lay almost upon his horse’s neck, but it was an unconscious act.

hoofbeats

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

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

hoofsnounUS /hʊfs/

plural of “hoof” — the foot of an ungulate mammal

From this reading He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

horse'snounUS /ˈhɔːrsəz/

possessive form of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading Phil lay almost upon his horse’s neck, but it was an unconscious act.

horsemennounUS /ˈhɔːrsmən/

plural of “horseman” — a man skilled in equitation

From this reading He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

IndiansnounUS /ˈɪndiənz/

plural of “indian” — a native or inhabitant of India

From this reading From left to right came shouts, the yells of the Indians and the fierce cries of the Mexicans.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Phil lay almost upon his horse’s neck, but it was an unconscious act.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Phil lay almost upon his horse’s neck, but it was an unconscious act.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading From left to right came shouts, the yells of the Indians and the fierce cries of the Mexicans.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading "Bend low," cried Middleton, "and we may escape their bullets!"

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "Bend low," cried Middleton, "and we may escape their bullets!"

MexicansnounUS /ˈmeksɪkənz/

plural of “mexican” — a native or inhabitant of Mexico

From this reading From left to right came shouts, the yells of the Indians and the fierce cries of the Mexicans.

MiddletonnounUS /ˈmɪdəltən/

English playwright and pamphleteer (1570-1627)

From this reading "Bend low," cried Middleton, "and we may escape their bullets!"

mistverbUS /mɪst/

become covered with mist

From this reading He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

necknounUS /nek/

the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body

From this reading Phil lay almost upon his horse’s neck, but it was an unconscious act.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

Phil

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

From this reading Phil lay almost upon his horse’s neck, but it was an unconscious act.

plainadjectiveUS /pleɪn/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading From left to right came shouts, the yells of the Indians and the fierce cries of the Mexicans.

rodeverbUS /roʊd/

inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

shoutsnounUS /ʃaʊts/

plural of “shout” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition

From this reading From left to right came shouts, the yells of the Indians and the fierce cries of the Mexicans.

straightadjectiveUS /streɪt/

successive (without a break)

From this reading He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

swiftadjectiveUS /swɪft/

moving very fast

From this reading He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading "Bend low," cried Middleton, "and we may escape their bullets!"

thinadjectiveUS /θɪn/

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

thrillingadjectiveUS /ˈθrɪlɪŋ/

causing a surge of emotion or excitement

From this reading He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

thunderedverbUS /ˈθʌndərd/

past form of “thunder” — move fast, noisily, and heavily

From this reading THE FIERY CIRCLE The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of the four thundered over the plain.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading From left to right came shouts, the yells of the Indians and the fierce cries of the Mexicans.

towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

trainverbUS /treɪn/

create by training and teaching

From this reading He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

unconsciousadjectiveUS /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəs/

not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead

From this reading Phil lay almost upon his horse’s neck, but it was an unconscious act.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Phil lay almost upon his horse’s neck, but it was an unconscious act.

wagonnounUS /ˈwæɡən/

any of various kinds of wheeled vehicles drawn by an animal or a tractor

From this reading He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Phil lay almost upon his horse’s neck, but it was an unconscious act.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "Bend low," cried Middleton, "and we may escape their bullets!"

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train.

yellsnounUS /jelz/

plural of “yell” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition

From this reading From left to right came shouts, the yells of the Indians and the fierce cries of the Mexicans.

Chapter 9 of The Quest of the Four by Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler holds 319 sentences, grouped into 64 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 Quest of the Four contain?

Chapter 9 holds 319 sentences of The Quest of the Four, unabridged, divided into 64 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of The Quest of the Four by Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 319 sentences, grouped into 64 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 Quest of the Four?

Work through the 64 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 64 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 Quest of the Four

Common questions about reading The Quest of the Four by Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Quest of the Four?

Yes. All 7509 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40480 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Quest of the Four is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #40480, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Quest of the Four take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1502 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Quest of the Four section by section

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

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Vocabulary met early in The Quest of the Four

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Quest of the Four, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Dreaming: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Quest of the Four; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dreams: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Quest of the Four; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Walking: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Quest of the Four; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Across: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Quest of the Four; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter IX

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Vocabulary met early in The Quest of the Four