Chapter 2 of The ranch of the tombstones is here in full — 460 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The ranch of the tombstones is here in full — 460 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“You get the drink, grampaw,” said Hashknife, tossing a two-bit piece on the bar. “Spot don’t want him--” began the bartender. “Hooch!” snapped Hashknife. “What in ---- do I care what Spot wants?” “He’ll get sore about it,” argued the bartender.
Chapter 2 of The ranch of the tombstones is here in full — 460 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/92 · 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.
past form of “argue” — present reasons and arguments
From this reading ““He’ll get sore about it,” argued the bartender.”
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading ““You get the drink, grampaw,” said Hashknife, tossing a two-bit piece on the bar.”
an employee who mixes and serves alcoholic drinks at a bar
From this reading ““Spot don’t want him--” began the bartender.”
an illicitly distilled (and usually inferior) alcoholic liquor
From this reading ““Hooch!” snapped Hashknife.”
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading ““Hooch!” snapped Hashknife.”
hurting
From this reading ““He’ll get sore about it,” argued the bartender.”
-ing form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading ““You get the drink, grampaw,” said Hashknife, tossing a two-bit piece on the bar.”
plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty
From this reading ““What in ---- do I care what Spot wants?””
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.
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 “You get the drink, grampaw,” said Hashknife, tossing a two-bit piece on the bar.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “He’ll get sore about it,” argued the bartender.
past form of “argue” — present reasons and arguments
From this reading “He’ll get sore about it,” argued the bartender.
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading “You get the drink, grampaw,” said Hashknife, tossing a two-bit piece on the bar.
an employee who mixes and serves alcoholic drinks at a bar
From this reading “Spot don’t want him--” began the bartender.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “Spot don’t want him--” began the bartender.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading “What in ---- do I care what Spot wants?”
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “What in ---- do I care what Spot wants?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Spot don’t want him--” began the bartender.
take in liquids
From this reading “You get the drink, grampaw,” said Hashknife, tossing a two-bit piece on the bar.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “You get the drink, grampaw,” said Hashknife, tossing a two-bit piece on the bar.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You get the drink, grampaw,” said Hashknife, tossing a two-bit piece on the bar.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You get the drink, grampaw,” said Hashknife, tossing a two-bit piece on the bar.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “He’ll get sore about it,” argued the bartender.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Spot don’t want him--” began the bartender.
an illicitly distilled (and usually inferior) alcoholic liquor
From this reading “Hooch!” snapped Hashknife.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “What in ---- do I care what Spot wants?”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “What in ---- do I care what Spot wants?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “He’ll get sore about it,” argued the bartender.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “You get the drink, grampaw,” said Hashknife, tossing a two-bit piece on the bar.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading “You get the drink, grampaw,” said Hashknife, tossing a two-bit piece on the bar.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “You get the drink, grampaw,” said Hashknife, tossing a two-bit piece on the bar.
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading “Hooch!” snapped Hashknife.
hurting
From this reading “He’ll get sore about it,” argued the bartender.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading “Spot don’t want him--” began the bartender.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “You get the drink, grampaw,” said Hashknife, tossing a two-bit piece on the bar.
-ing form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading “You get the drink, grampaw,” said Hashknife, tossing a two-bit piece on the bar.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You get the drink, grampaw,” said Hashknife, tossing a two-bit piece on the bar.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “Spot don’t want him--” began the bartender.
plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty
From this reading “What in ---- do I care what Spot wants?”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What in ---- do I care what Spot wants?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You get the drink, grampaw,” said Hashknife, tossing a two-bit piece on the bar.
Chapter 2 of The ranch of the tombstones by W. C. (Wilbur C.) Tuttle holds 460 sentences, grouped into 92 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 2 holds 460 sentences of The ranch of the tombstones, unabridged, divided into 92 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The ranch of the tombstones by W. C. (Wilbur C.) Tuttle exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 460 sentences, grouped into 92 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 92 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 92 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 2 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 ranch of the tombstones by W. C. (Wilbur C.) Tuttle on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2307 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #73545 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #73545, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 192 minutes of reading across 462 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The ranch of the tombstones section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of The ranch of the tombstones 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 ranch of the tombstones, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
