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The Shades of the Wilderness
The Shades of the Wilderness

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Shades of the Wilderness is here in full — 360 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/72 · 5 lines
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THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.
Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.
A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.
There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.
But he saw nothing and the thickness of the forest indicated that even if the signals were made there it was not likely he could see them.
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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 Shades of the Wilderness

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Shades of the Wilderness is here in full — 360 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/72 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.
/ðə ˈdeɪndʒərəs roʊd ðə roʊd led ɪn ðə ˈdʒenərəl dərˈekʃən ʌv liːz ˈɑːrmi ənd ˈheri nuː ðæt ɪf hiː ˈfɑːloʊd ɪt lɔːŋ ɪˈnʌf hiː wɑːz baʊnd tuː riːtʃ hɪz kəˈmændər bʌt ðə tuː wɜːrdz lɔːŋ ɪˈnʌf maɪt dɪˈfiːt ˈevriθɪŋ/
Line 2
Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.
/ənˈdaʊtɪdli ə ˈfedərəl fɔːrs wɑːz nɪr ɔːr ðə ˈfɑːrmər ənd hɪz waɪf wʊd nɑːt biː ˈsɪɡnəlɪŋ frʌm ðə ruːf ʌv ðer haʊs/
Line 3
A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.
/ə ˈplʌki ˈkʌpəl ðeɪ wɜːr ənd hiː ɡeɪv ðem ɔːl ˈkredət bʌt hiː wɑːz əˈwer ðæt waɪl hiː hæd sɪˈkjʊrd ˈbrekfəst frʌm ðem ðeɪ hæd pʊt ðə wʊlvz əˈpɑːn hɪz treɪl/
Line 4
There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.
/ðer wɜːr haɪ hɪlz ɑːn boʊθ ðə raɪt ənd left ʌv ðə roʊd ənd æz hiː ˈɡæləpt əˈlɔːŋ hiː ɪɡˈzæmənd ðem θruː hɪz ˈɡlæsəz fɔːr flæɡz ˈænsərɪŋ ðə ˈsɪɡnəl ɑːn ðə haʊs/
Line 5
But he saw nothing and the thickness of the forest indicated that even if the signals were made there it was not likely he could see them.
/bʌt hiː sɔː ˈnʌθɪŋ ənd ðə ˈθɪknəs ʌv ðə ˈfɔːrəst ˈɪndəkeɪtəd ðæt ˈiːvɪn ɪf ðə ˈsɪɡnəlz wɜːr meɪd ðer ɪt wɑːz nɑːt ˈlaɪkli hiː kʊd siː ðem/

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.

Federal adjective US /ˈfedərəl/

national; especially in reference to the government of the United States as distinct from that of its member units

From this reading “Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.”

flags noun US /flæɡz/

plural of “flag” — emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design

From this reading “There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.”

galloped verb US /ˈɡæləpt/

past form of “gallop” — ride at a galloping pace

From this reading “There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.”

Lee's noun US /liːz/

possessive form of “lee” — United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)

From this reading “THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.”

plucky adjective US /ˈplʌki/

marked by courage and determination in the face of difficulties or danger; robust and uninhibited

From this reading “A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.”

signaling noun US /ˈsɪɡnəlɪŋ/

any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message

From this reading “Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.”

signals noun US /ˈsɪɡnəlz/

plural of “signal” — any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message

From this reading “But he saw nothing and the thickness of the forest indicated that even if the signals were made there it was not likely he could see them.”

thickness noun US /ˈθɪknəs/

the dimension through an object as opposed to its length or width

From this reading “But he saw nothing and the thickness of the forest indicated that even if the signals were made there it was not likely he could see them.”

All words in this reading · 93

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 Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.

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 A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

answeringadjectiveUS /ˈænsərɪŋ/

replying

From this reading There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.

armynounUS /ˈɑːrmi/

a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.

awareadjectiveUS /əˈwer/

(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception

From this reading A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.

boundadjectiveUS /baʊnd/

confined by bonds

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

commandernounUS /kəˈmændər/

an officer in command of a military unit

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading But he saw nothing and the thickness of the forest indicated that even if the signals were made there it was not likely he could see them.

couplenounUS /ˈkʌpəl/

a pair who associate with one another

From this reading A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.

creditnounUS /ˈkredət/

approval

From this reading A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.

DANGEROUSadjectiveUS /ˈdeɪndʒərəs/

involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

defeatnounUS /dɪˈfiːt/

an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

directionnounUS /dərˈekʃən/

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading But he saw nothing and the thickness of the forest indicated that even if the signals were made there it was not likely he could see them.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

examinedverbUS /ɪɡˈzæmənd/

past form of “examine” — consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning

From this reading There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.

farmernounUS /ˈfɑːrmər/

a person who operates a farm

From this reading Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.

FederaladjectiveUS /ˈfedərəl/

national; especially in reference to the government of the United States as distinct from that of its member units

From this reading Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.

flagsnounUS /flæɡz/

plural of “flag” — emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design

From this reading There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

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

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.

forcenounUS /fɔːrs/

a powerful effect or influence

From this reading Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.

forestnounUS /ˈfɔːrəst/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading But he saw nothing and the thickness of the forest indicated that even if the signals were made there it was not likely he could see them.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.

gallopedverbUS /ˈɡæləpt/

past form of “gallop” — ride at a galloping pace

From this reading There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.

generaladjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəl/

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

glassesnounUS /ˈɡlæsəz/

(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision

From this reading There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.

HarryverbUS /ˈheri/

annoy continually or chronically

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.

hillsnounUS /hɪlz/

plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

indicatedverbUS /ˈɪndəkeɪtəd/

past form of “indicate” — be a signal for or a symptom of

From this reading But he saw nothing and the thickness of the forest indicated that even if the signals were made there it was not likely he could see them.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

lednounUS /led/

diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

Lee'snounUS /liːz/

possessive form of “lee” — United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

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 There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.

likelyadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪkli/

has a good chance of being the case or of coming about

From this reading But he saw nothing and the thickness of the forest indicated that even if the signals were made there it was not likely he could see them.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading But he saw nothing and the thickness of the forest indicated that even if the signals were made there it was not likely he could see them.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading But he saw nothing and the thickness of the forest indicated that even if the signals were made there it was not likely he could see them.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.

pluckyadjectiveUS /ˈplʌki/

marked by courage and determination in the face of difficulties or danger; robust and uninhibited

From this reading A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.

reachverbUS /riːtʃ/

reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.

ROADnounUS /roʊd/

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

roofnounUS /ruːf/

a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building

From this reading Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading But he saw nothing and the thickness of the forest indicated that even if the signals were made there it was not likely he could see them.

securedverbUS /sɪˈkjʊrd/

past form of “secure” — get by special effort

From this reading A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading But he saw nothing and the thickness of the forest indicated that even if the signals were made there it was not likely he could see them.

signalnounUS /ˈsɪɡnəl/

any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message

From this reading There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.

signalingnounUS /ˈsɪɡnəlɪŋ/

any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message

From this reading Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.

signalsnounUS /ˈsɪɡnəlz/

plural of “signal” — any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message

From this reading But he saw nothing and the thickness of the forest indicated that even if the signals were made there it was not likely he could see them.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.

thicknessnounUS /ˈθɪknəs/

the dimension through an object as opposed to its length or width

From this reading But he saw nothing and the thickness of the forest indicated that even if the signals were made there it was not likely he could see them.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading There were high hills on both the right and left of the road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for flags answering the signal on the house.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

trailnounUS /treɪl/

a track or mark left by something that has passed

From this reading A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

UndoubtedlyadverbUS /ənˈdaʊtɪdli/

without doubt; certainly

From this reading Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.

wolvesnounUS /wʊlvz/

plural of “wolf” — any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs

From this reading A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves upon his trail.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading THE DANGEROUS ROAD The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander, but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Undoubtedly a Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling from the roof of their house.

Chapter 4 of The Shades of the Wilderness by Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler holds 360 sentences, grouped into 72 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 4 of The Shades of the Wilderness contain?

Chapter 4 holds 360 sentences of The Shades of the Wilderness, unabridged, divided into 72 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Shades of the Wilderness by Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 360 sentences, grouped into 72 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 4 of The Shades of the Wilderness?

Work through the 72 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 72 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Shades of the Wilderness

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

Is this the complete text of The Shades of the Wilderness?

Yes. All 5191 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12532 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Shades of the Wilderness is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #12532, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Shades of the Wilderness take to read?

About 432 minutes of reading across 1039 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Shades of the Wilderness section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 15 chapters of The Shades of the Wilderness 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 Shades of the Wilderness

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

Night
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shades of the Wilderness; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Remained
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shades of the Wilderness; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Quiet
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shades of the Wilderness; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Harry
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shades of the Wilderness; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.