Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Scalp Hunters
The Scalp Hunters

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of The Scalp Hunters is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Scalp Hunters
Context Illustration Reading 1/86 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.
They were now on their return with Seguin, and I found them at his tent.
Seguin welcomed me as the bearer of joyful news.
They were still safe.
That was all I could tell him, and all he asked for during our hurried congratulation.
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 XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of The Scalp Hunters is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/86 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.
Line 2
They were now on their return with Seguin, and I found them at his tent.
Line 3
Seguin welcomed me as the bearer of joyful news.
Line 4
They were still safe.
/ðeɪ wɜːr stɪl seɪf/
Line 5
That was all I could tell him, and all he asked for during our hurried congratulation.
/ðæt wɑːz ɔːl aɪ kʊd tel hɪm ənd ɔːl hiː æskt fɔːr ˈdʊrɪŋ ˈaʊər ˈhɜːrid kənˌɡrætʃəˈleɪʃən/

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.

bearer noun US /ˈberər/

someone whose employment involves carrying something

From this reading “Seguin welcomed me as the bearer of joyful news.”

congratulation noun US /kənˌɡrætʃəˈleɪʃən/

the act of acknowledging that someone has an occasion for celebration

From this reading “That was all I could tell him, and all he asked for during our hurried congratulation.”

joyful adjective US /ˈdʒɔɪfəl/

full of or producing joy

From this reading “Seguin welcomed me as the bearer of joyful news.”

Luna noun US /ˈluːnə/

(Roman mythology) the goddess of the Moon; counterpart of Greek Selene

From this reading “Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.”

rejoiced verb US /rɪˈdʒɔɪst/

past form of “rejoice” — feel happiness or joy

From this reading “Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.”

Sol noun US /sɑːl/

a colloid that has a continuous liquid phase in which a solid is suspended in a liquid

From this reading “Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.”

tent noun US /tent/

a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)

From this reading “They were now on their return with Seguin, and I found them at his tent.”

welcomed verb US /ˈwelkəmd/

past form of “welcome” — accept gladly

From this reading “Seguin welcomed me as the bearer of joyful news.”

All words in this reading · 56

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.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

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 That was all I could tell him, and all he asked for during our hurried congratulation.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Seguin welcomed me as the bearer of joyful news.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading That was all I could tell him, and all he asked for during our hurried congratulation.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading They were now on their return with Seguin, and I found them at his tent.

bandnounUS /bænd/

an unofficial association of people or groups

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

barranca

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

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

bearernounUS /ˈberər/

someone whose employment involves carrying something

From this reading Seguin welcomed me as the bearer of joyful news.

congratulationnounUS /kənˌɡrætʃəˈleɪʃən/

the act of acknowledging that someone has an occasion for celebration

From this reading That was all I could tell him, and all he asked for during our hurried congratulation.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading That was all I could tell him, and all he asked for during our hurried congratulation.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading That was all I could tell him, and all he asked for during our hurried congratulation.

ElnounUS /el/

angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object)

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

escapedadjectiveUS /ɪˈskeɪpt/

having escaped, especially from confinement

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

fightverbUS /faɪt/

be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading That was all I could tell him, and all he asked for during our hurried congratulation.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading They were now on their return with Seguin, and I found them at his tent.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading That was all I could tell him, and all he asked for during our hurried congratulation.

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading That was all I could tell him, and all he asked for during our hurried congratulation.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading They were now on their return with Seguin, and I found them at his tent.

hurriedadjectiveUS /ˈhɜːrid/

moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste

From this reading That was all I could tell him, and all he asked for during our hurried congratulation.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

joyfuladjectiveUS /ˈdʒɔɪfəl/

full of or producing joy

From this reading Seguin welcomed me as the bearer of joyful news.

LanounUS /lɑː/

a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

LunanounUS /ˈluːnə/

(Roman mythology) the goddess of the Moon; counterpart of Greek Selene

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Seguin welcomed me as the bearer of joyful news.

MostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading Seguin welcomed me as the bearer of joyful news.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading They were now on their return with Seguin, and I found them at his tent.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading They were now on their return with Seguin, and I found them at his tent.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading That was all I could tell him, and all he asked for during our hurried congratulation.

rejoicedverbUS /rɪˈdʒɔɪst/

past form of “rejoice” — feel happiness or joy

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading They were now on their return with Seguin, and I found them at his tent.

safeadjectiveUS /seɪf/

free from danger or the risk of harm

From this reading They were still safe.

Seguin

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

From this reading They were now on their return with Seguin, and I found them at his tent.

Seguin's

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

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

SolnounUS /sɑːl/

a colloid that has a continuous liquid phase in which a solid is suspended in a liquid

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading They were still safe.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading That was all I could tell him, and all he asked for during our hurried congratulation.

tentnounUS /tent/

a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)

From this reading They were now on their return with Seguin, and I found them at his tent.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That was all I could tell him, and all he asked for during our hurried congratulation.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They were now on their return with Seguin, and I found them at his tent.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading They were now on their return with Seguin, and I found them at his tent.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They were now on their return with Seguin, and I found them at his tent.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Most of Seguin's band had escaped after the fight in the barranca, and among the rest, I was rejoiced to hear, El Sol and La Luna.

welcomedverbUS /ˈwelkəmd/

past form of “welcome” — accept gladly

From this reading Seguin welcomed me as the bearer of joyful news.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading They were now on their return with Seguin, and I found them at his tent.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading They were now on their return with Seguin, and I found them at his tent.

Chapter 21 of The Scalp Hunters by Mayne Reid holds 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 21 of The Scalp Hunters contain?

Chapter 21 holds 430 sentences of The Scalp Hunters, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of The Scalp Hunters by Mayne Reid exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 21 of The Scalp Hunters?

Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 86 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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.