Chapter 13 of The Sky Line of Spruce is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIII
Chapter 13 of The Sky Line of Spruce is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A rifle--probably discharged by Beatrice in a hunt after big game. It was true that their meat supply was low; he remembered now. Yet it was curious that she should be hunting after dark. The gloom was deep at the cavern mouth. Besides, he had always kept his rifle from her, fearing that she might turn it against him.
Chapter 13 of The Sky Line of Spruce is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
the woman who guided Dante through Paradise in the Divine Comedy
From this reading “A rifle--probably discharged by Beatrice in a hunt after big game.”
A large, vast underground cave, often filled with forgotten ancient treasures.
From this reading “The gloom was deep at the cavern mouth.”
having lost your job
From this reading “A rifle--probably discharged by Beatrice in a hunt after big game.”
-ing form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading “Besides, he had always kept his rifle from her, fearing that she might turn it against him.”
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading “The gloom was deep at the cavern mouth.”
pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals)
From this reading “A rifle--probably discharged by Beatrice in a hunt after big game.”
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading “A rifle--probably discharged by Beatrice in a hunt after big game.”
give something useful or necessary to
From this reading “It was true that their meat supply was low; he remembered now.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A rifle--probably discharged by Beatrice in a hunt after big game.
later than; following
From this reading A rifle--probably discharged by Beatrice in a hunt after big game.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Besides, he had always kept his rifle from her, fearing that she might turn it against him.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Besides, he had always kept his rifle from her, fearing that she might turn it against him.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The gloom was deep at the cavern mouth.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Yet it was curious that she should be hunting after dark.
the woman who guided Dante through Paradise in the Divine Comedy
From this reading A rifle--probably discharged by Beatrice in a hunt after big game.
in addition to; as well as
From this reading Besides, he had always kept his rifle from her, fearing that she might turn it against him.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A rifle--probably discharged by Beatrice in a hunt after big game.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A rifle--probably discharged by Beatrice in a hunt after big game.
A large, vast underground cave, often filled with forgotten ancient treasures.
From this reading The gloom was deep at the cavern mouth.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading Yet it was curious that she should be hunting after dark.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Yet it was curious that she should be hunting after dark.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading The gloom was deep at the cavern mouth.
having lost your job
From this reading A rifle--probably discharged by Beatrice in a hunt after big game.
-ing form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading Besides, he had always kept his rifle from her, fearing that she might turn it against him.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Besides, he had always kept his rifle from her, fearing that she might turn it against him.
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading A rifle--probably discharged by Beatrice in a hunt after big game.
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading The gloom was deep at the cavern mouth.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Besides, he had always kept his rifle from her, fearing that she might turn it against him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was true that their meat supply was low; he remembered now.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Besides, he had always kept his rifle from her, fearing that she might turn it against him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Besides, he had always kept his rifle from her, fearing that she might turn it against him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Besides, he had always kept his rifle from her, fearing that she might turn it against him.
pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals)
From this reading A rifle--probably discharged by Beatrice in a hunt after big game.
the pursuit and killing or capture of wild animals regarded as a sport
From this reading Yet it was curious that she should be hunting after dark.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A rifle--probably discharged by Beatrice in a hunt after big game.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was true that their meat supply was low; he remembered now.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading Besides, he had always kept his rifle from her, fearing that she might turn it against him.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading It was true that their meat supply was low; he remembered now.
the flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food
From this reading It was true that their meat supply was low; he remembered now.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Besides, he had always kept his rifle from her, fearing that she might turn it against him.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading The gloom was deep at the cavern mouth.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It was true that their meat supply was low; he remembered now.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading A rifle--probably discharged by Beatrice in a hunt after big game.
past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading It was true that their meat supply was low; he remembered now.
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading A rifle--probably discharged by Beatrice in a hunt after big game.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Yet it was curious that she should be hunting after dark.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Yet it was curious that she should be hunting after dark.
give something useful or necessary to
From this reading It was true that their meat supply was low; he remembered now.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was true that their meat supply was low; he remembered now.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The gloom was deep at the cavern mouth.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It was true that their meat supply was low; he remembered now.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading It was true that their meat supply was low; he remembered now.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading Besides, he had always kept his rifle from her, fearing that she might turn it against him.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was true that their meat supply was low; he remembered now.
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet it was curious that she should be hunting after dark.
Chapter 13 of The Sky Line of Spruce by Edison Marshall holds 422 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.
Chapter 13 holds 422 sentences of The Sky Line of Spruce, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 13 of The Sky Line of Spruce by Edison Marshall exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading The Sky Line of Spruce by Edison Marshall on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5502 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11402 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #11402, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 458 minutes of reading across 1101 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Sky Line of Spruce section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Sky Line of Spruce to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Sky Line of Spruce, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
