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The Rover Boys in Southern Waters
The Rover Boys in Southern Waters

Chapter XXXI

Chapter 31 of The Rover Boys in Southern Waters is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Edward Stratemeyer • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Rover Boys in Southern Waters
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.
Then the sails on the steam yacht were lowered and the tug came alongside.
In a minute more Fred was scrambling on deck, followed by the others.
"Alive!
All of you!" cried Fred.
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 Rover Boys in Southern Waters

Chapter XXXI

Chapter 31 of The Rover Boys in Southern Waters is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.
Line 2
Then the sails on the steam yacht were lowered and the tug came alongside.
/ðen ðə seɪlz ɑːn ðə stiːm jɑːt wɜːr ˈloʊərd ənd ðə tʌɡ keɪm əˈlɔːŋˈsaɪd/
Line 3
In a minute more Fred was scrambling on deck, followed by the others.
Line 4
"Alive!
/əˈlaɪv/
Line 5
All of you!" cried Fred.

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.

alongside adverb US /əˈlɔːŋˈsaɪd/

side by side

From this reading “Then the sails on the steam yacht were lowered and the tug came alongside.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
homeward adverb US /ˈhoʊmwərd/

toward home

From this reading “HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mermaid noun US /ˈmɜːrmeɪd/

half woman and half fish; lives in the sea

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
scrambling verb US /ˈskræmbəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “scramble” — to move hurriedly

From this reading “In a minute more Fred was scrambling on deck, followed by the others.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Songbird noun US /ˈsɔːŋbɜːrd/

any bird having a musical call

From this reading “HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
steam verb US /stiːm/

travel by means of steam power

From this reading “Then the sails on the steam yacht were lowered and the tug came alongside.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tug verb US /tʌɡ/

pull hard

From this reading “HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yacht noun US /jɑːt/

an expensive vessel propelled by sail or power and used for cruising or racing

From this reading “Then the sails on the steam yacht were lowered and the tug came alongside.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

steam yacht verb + noun

In this reading “Then the sails on the steam yacht were lowered and the tug came alongside.”

482 times in 426,212 chapters
on board preposition + noun

on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle

In this reading “HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.”

68,280 times in 426,212 chapters
on deck preposition + noun

In this reading “In a minute more Fred was scrambling on deck, followed by the others.”

23,812 times in 426,212 chapters
came alongside verb + particle counted as “come alongside”

In this reading “Then the sails on the steam yacht were lowered and the tug came alongside.”

1,722 times in 426,212 chapters
followed by verb + particle counted as “follow by”

In this reading “In a minute more Fred was scrambling on deck, followed by the others.”

40,602 times in 426,212 chapters
set up verb + adjective

set up or found

In this reading “HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.”

20,893 times in 426,212 chapters
sails on verb + particle counted as “sail on”

In this reading “Then the sails on the steam yacht were lowered and the tug came alongside.”

3,767 times in 426,212 chapters
In a minute preposition + article + noun counted as “in … minute”

In this reading “In a minute more Fred was scrambling on deck, followed by the others.”

11,778 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 50

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 HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AliveadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/

possessing life

From this reading "Alive!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
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 of you!" cried Fred.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
alongsideadverbUS /əˈlɔːŋˈsaɪd/

side by side

From this reading Then the sails on the steam yacht were lowered and the tug came alongside.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BirdnounUS /bɜːrd/

warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boardnounUS /bɔːrd/

a committee having supervisory powers

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BOUNDadjectiveUS /baʊnd/

confined by bonds

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading In a minute more Fred was scrambling on deck, followed by the others.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading Then the sails on the steam yacht were lowered and the tug came alongside.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cheerverbUS /tʃɪr/

give encouragement to

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CONCLUSIONnounUS /kənˈkluːʒən/

a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
containedadjectiveUS /kənˈteɪnd/

gotten under control

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
criedverbUS /kraɪd/

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

From this reading All of you!" cried Fred.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
decknounUS /dek/

any of various platforms built into a vessel

From this reading In a minute more Fred was scrambling on deck, followed by the others.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading In a minute more Fred was scrambling on deck, followed by the others.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Fred

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

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

Pending verification
Harold

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

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

Pending verification
HOMEWARDadverbUS /ˈhoʊmwərd/

toward home

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In a minute more Fred was scrambling on deck, followed by the others.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
loweredadjectiveUS /ˈloʊərd/

below the surround or below the normal position

From this reading Then the sails on the steam yacht were lowered and the tug came alongside.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MermaidnounUS /ˈmɜːrmeɪd/

half woman and half fish; lives in the sea

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
minutenounUS /ˈmɪnət/

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

From this reading In a minute more Fred was scrambling on deck, followed by the others.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading In a minute more Fred was scrambling on deck, followed by the others.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
others

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

From this reading In a minute more Fred was scrambling on deck, followed by the others.

Pending verification
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reportverbUS /riˈpɔːrt/

to give an account or representation of in words

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sailsnounUS /seɪlz/

plural of “sail” — a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel

From this reading Then the sails on the steam yacht were lowered and the tug came alongside.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
scramblingverbUS /ˈskræmbəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “scramble” — to move hurriedly

From this reading In a minute more Fred was scrambling on deck, followed by the others.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SongbirdnounUS /ˈsɔːŋbɜːrd/

any bird having a musical call

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
steamverbUS /stiːm/

travel by means of steam power

From this reading Then the sails on the steam yacht were lowered and the tug came alongside.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then the sails on the steam yacht were lowered and the tug came alongside.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tugverbUS /tʌɡ/

pull hard

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the _Mermaid_ they set up a cheer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yachtnounUS /jɑːt/

an expensive vessel propelled by sail or power and used for cruising or racing

From this reading Then the sails on the steam yacht were lowered and the tug came alongside.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading All of you!" cried Fred.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 31 of The Rover Boys in Southern Waters by Edward Stratemeyer holds 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 31 of The Rover Boys in Southern Waters contain?

Chapter 31 holds 203 sentences of The Rover Boys in Southern Waters, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 31 of The Rover Boys in Southern Waters by Edward Stratemeyer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 31 of The Rover Boys in Southern Waters?

Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 41 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 31 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 31 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 Rover Boys in Southern Waters

Common questions about reading The Rover Boys in Southern Waters by Edward Stratemeyer on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Rover Boys in Southern Waters?

Yes. All 3719 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26193 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Rover Boys in Southern Waters is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26193, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Rover Boys in Southern Waters take to read?

About 309 minutes of reading across 744 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Rover Boys in Southern Waters section by section

How to work through The Rover Boys in Southern Waters section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Rover Boys in Southern Waters

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Rover Boys in Southern Waters, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Rover
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rover Boys in Southern Waters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Southern
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rover Boys in Southern Waters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Waters
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rover Boys in Southern Waters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Complete
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rover Boys in Southern Waters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.