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The Scalp Hunters
The Scalp Hunters

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Scalp Hunters is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Scalp Hunters
Context Illustration Reading 1/85 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."
When the tournament was ended, and we were hauled back to the river-side, the torero was not with us.
Fortunate Sanchez!
He had won his life!
Henceforth he was to be riding-master to the Navajo nation!
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 Scalp Hunters

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Scalp Hunters is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."
/ˈsæntʃez ˌhaʊˈevər dɪd nɑːt liːv ɔːf ənˈtɪl hiː hæd ˈɡɪvən hɪz ˈspekteɪtərz ðə fʊl ˈproʊɡræm ʌv ðə rɪŋ ənd hæd ˈferli əˈstɑːnɪʃt ðə ˈneɪtɪvz/
Line 2
When the tournament was ended, and we were hauled back to the river-side, the torero was not with us.
Line 3
Fortunate Sanchez!
/ˈfɔːrtʃənət ˈsæntʃez/
Line 4
He had won his life!
/hiː hæd wʌn hɪz laɪf/
Line 5
Henceforth he was to be riding-master to the Navajo nation!

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.

hauled verb US /hɔːld/

past form of “haul” — draw slowly or heavily

From this reading “When the tournament was ended, and we were hauled back to the river-side, the torero was not with us.”

Henceforth adverb US /ˈhenˈsfɔːrθ/

from this time forth; from now on

From this reading “Henceforth he was to be riding-master to the Navajo nation!”

natives noun US /ˈneɪtɪvz/

plural of “native” — an indigenous person who was born in a particular place

From this reading “Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."”

Navajo noun US /ˈnɑːvəhoʊ/

a member of an Athapaskan people that migrated to Arizona and New Mexico and Utah

From this reading “Henceforth he was to be riding-master to the Navajo nation!”

programme noun US /ˈproʊɡræm/

an announcement of the events that will occur as part of a theatrical or sporting event

From this reading “Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."”

Sanchez noun US /ˈsæntʃez/

Venezuelan master terrorist raised by a Marxist-Leninist father; trained and worked with many terrorist groups (born in 1949)

From this reading “Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."”

spectators noun US /ˈspekteɪtərz/

plural of “spectator” — a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)

From this reading “Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."”

tournament noun US /ˈtʊrnəmənt/

a sporting competition in which contestants play a series of games to decide the winner

From this reading “When the tournament was ended, and we were hauled back to the river-side, the torero was not with us.”

All words in this reading · 42

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 Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

astonishedadjectiveUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃt/

filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading When the tournament was ended, and we were hauled back to the river-side, the torero was not with us.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Henceforth he was to be riding-master to the Navajo nation!

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

endedadjectiveUS /ˈendəd/

having come or been brought to a conclusion

From this reading When the tournament was ended, and we were hauled back to the river-side, the torero was not with us.

fairlyadverbUS /ˈferli/

to certain extent or degree

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

FortunateadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənət/

having unexpected good fortune

From this reading Fortunate Sanchez!

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

hauledverbUS /hɔːld/

past form of “haul” — draw slowly or heavily

From this reading When the tournament was ended, and we were hauled back to the river-side, the torero was not with us.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

HenceforthadverbUS /ˈhenˈsfɔːrθ/

from this time forth; from now on

From this reading Henceforth he was to be riding-master to the Navajo nation!

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading He had won his life!

nationnounUS /ˈneɪʃən/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading Henceforth he was to be riding-master to the Navajo nation!

nativesnounUS /ˈneɪtɪvz/

plural of “native” — an indigenous person who was born in a particular place

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

NavajonounUS /ˈnɑːvəhoʊ/

a member of an Athapaskan people that migrated to Arizona and New Mexico and Utah

From this reading Henceforth he was to be riding-master to the Navajo nation!

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

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

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

programmenounUS /ˈproʊɡræm/

an announcement of the events that will occur as part of a theatrical or sporting event

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

riding-master

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

From this reading Henceforth he was to be riding-master to the Navajo nation!

ringverbUS /rɪŋ/

sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

river-side

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

From this reading When the tournament was ended, and we were hauled back to the river-side, the torero was not with us.

SancheznounUS /ˈsæntʃez/

Venezuelan master terrorist raised by a Marxist-Leninist father; trained and worked with many terrorist groups (born in 1949)

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

spectatorsnounUS /ˈspekteɪtərz/

plural of “spectator” — a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading When the tournament was ended, and we were hauled back to the river-side, the torero was not with us.

toreronoun

a matador or one of the supporting team during a bull fight

From this reading When the tournament was ended, and we were hauled back to the river-side, the torero was not with us.

tournamentnounUS /ˈtʊrnəmənt/

a sporting competition in which contestants play a series of games to decide the winner

From this reading When the tournament was ended, and we were hauled back to the river-side, the torero was not with us.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Sanchez, however, did not leave off until he had given his spectators the full programme of the "ring," and had fairly "astonished the natives."

uspronounUS /ʌs/

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

From this reading When the tournament was ended, and we were hauled back to the river-side, the torero was not with us.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading When the tournament was ended, and we were hauled back to the river-side, the torero was not with us.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading When the tournament was ended, and we were hauled back to the river-side, the torero was not with us.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading When the tournament was ended, and we were hauled back to the river-side, the torero was not with us.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When the tournament was ended, and we were hauled back to the river-side, the torero was not with us.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading When the tournament was ended, and we were hauled back to the river-side, the torero was not with us.

wonnounUS /wʌn/

the basic unit of money in South Korea

From this reading He had won his life!

Chapter 20 of The Scalp Hunters by Mayne Reid holds 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 20 of The Scalp Hunters contain?

Chapter 20 holds 425 sentences of The Scalp Hunters, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The Scalp Hunters by Mayne Reid exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 20 of The Scalp Hunters?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 Scalp Hunters

Common questions about reading The Scalp Hunters by Mayne Reid on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Scalp Hunters?

Yes. All 8568 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #23268 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Scalp Hunters is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #23268, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Scalp Hunters take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1714 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Scalp Hunters section by section

How to work through The Scalp Hunters section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of The Scalp Hunters to begin.

  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 Scalp Hunters

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Scalp Hunters, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Scalp
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Scalp Hunters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hunters
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Scalp Hunters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Romance
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Scalp Hunters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Northern
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Scalp Hunters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.