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The Splendid Outcast
The Splendid Outcast

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Splendid Outcast is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By George Gibbs • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Splendid Outcast
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.
Another pause while they listened again.
There was no mistaking it now.
Jim Horton had heard the same sounds before from the throat of one of the Engineers who had been horribly gassed.
Another groan, then the impact of a heavy body falling.
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 Splendid Outcast

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Splendid Outcast is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.
/hiː hæd hɜːrd ðə seɪm θɪŋ tuː ə feɪnt saʊnd laɪk ə kɑːf ˈfɑːloʊd baɪ ə ɡroʊn æz ðoʊ sʌm wʌn wɜːr ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ fɔːr breθ/
Line 2
Another pause while they listened again.
/əˈnʌðər pɔːz waɪl ðeɪ ˈlɪsənd əˈɡen/
Line 3
There was no mistaking it now.
/ðer wɑːz noʊ mɪˈsteɪkɪŋ ɪt naʊ/
Line 4
Jim Horton had heard the same sounds before from the throat of one of the Engineers who had been horribly gassed.
Line 5
Another groan, then the impact of a heavy body falling.
/əˈnʌðər ɡroʊn ðen ðə ˌɪmˈpækt ʌv ə ˈhevi ˈbɑːdi ˈfɑːlɪŋ/

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.

cough verb US /kɑːf/

exhale abruptly, as when one has a chest cold or congestion

From this reading “He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Engineers noun US /ˈendʒəˈnɪrz/

plural of “engineer” — a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems

From this reading “Jim Horton had heard the same sounds before from the throat of one of the Engineers who had been horribly gassed.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gassed verb US /ɡæst/

inflected form of “gas” — attack with gas; subject to gas fumes

From this reading “Jim Horton had heard the same sounds before from the throat of one of the Engineers who had been horribly gassed.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
groan noun US /ɡroʊn/

an utterance expressing pain or disapproval

From this reading “He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
horribly adverb US /ˈhɔːrəbli/

of a dreadful kind

From this reading “Jim Horton had heard the same sounds before from the throat of one of the Engineers who had been horribly gassed.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
impact noun US /ˌɪmˈpækt/

the striking of one body against another

From this reading “Another groan, then the impact of a heavy body falling.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mistaking noun US /mɪˈsteɪkɪŋ/

putting the wrong interpretation on

From this reading “There was no mistaking it now.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
struggling adjective US /ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ/

engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity

From this reading “He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.”

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.

faint sound adjective + noun

In this reading “He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.”

1,543 times in 426,211 chapters
same thing adjective + noun

In this reading “He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.”

15,000 times in 426,211 chapters
followed by verb + particle counted as “follow by”

In this reading “He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.”

40,602 times in 426,211 chapters
heavy body adjective + noun

In this reading “Another groan, then the impact of a heavy body falling.”

747 times in 426,211 chapters
for breath preposition + noun

In this reading “He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.”

5,263 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 52

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 He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Another pause while they listened again.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
AnotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Another pause while they listened again.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Jim Horton had heard the same sounds before from the throat of one of the Engineers who had been horribly gassed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Jim Horton had heard the same sounds before from the throat of one of the Engineers who had been horribly gassed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading Another groan, then the impact of a heavy body falling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
breathnounUS /breθ/

the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
coughverbUS /kɑːf/

exhale abruptly, as when one has a chest cold or congestion

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EngineersnounUS /ˈendʒəˈnɪrz/

plural of “engineer” — a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems

From this reading Jim Horton had heard the same sounds before from the throat of one of the Engineers who had been horribly gassed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
faintadjectiveUS /feɪnt/

deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fallingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlɪŋ/

decreasing in amount or degree

From this reading Another groan, then the impact of a heavy body falling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

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

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Jim Horton had heard the same sounds before from the throat of one of the Engineers who had been horribly gassed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
gassedverbUS /ɡæst/

inflected form of “gas” — attack with gas; subject to gas fumes

From this reading Jim Horton had heard the same sounds before from the throat of one of the Engineers who had been horribly gassed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
groannounUS /ɡroʊn/

an utterance expressing pain or disapproval

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading Another groan, then the impact of a heavy body falling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
horriblyadverbUS /ˈhɔːrəbli/

of a dreadful kind

From this reading Jim Horton had heard the same sounds before from the throat of one of the Engineers who had been horribly gassed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Horton

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

From this reading Jim Horton had heard the same sounds before from the throat of one of the Engineers who had been horribly gassed.

Pending verification
impactnounUS /ˌɪmˈpækt/

the striking of one body against another

From this reading Another groan, then the impact of a heavy body falling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading There was no mistaking it now.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Jim

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

From this reading Jim Horton had heard the same sounds before from the throat of one of the Engineers who had been horribly gassed.

Pending verification
likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
listenedverbUS /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading Another pause while they listened again.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mistakingnounUS /mɪˈsteɪkɪŋ/

putting the wrong interpretation on

From this reading There was no mistaking it now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There was no mistaking it now.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading There was no mistaking it now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Jim Horton had heard the same sounds before from the throat of one of the Engineers who had been horribly gassed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
pausenounUS /pɔːz/

a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something

From this reading Another pause while they listened again.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

Velmora curated lexicon
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soundsnounUS /saʊndz/

plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading Jim Horton had heard the same sounds before from the throat of one of the Engineers who had been horribly gassed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strugglingadjectiveUS /ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ/

engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

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 He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Another groan, then the impact of a heavy body falling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was no mistaking it now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading Another pause while they listened again.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
throatnounUS /θroʊt/

The passage at the back of the mouth.

From this reading Jim Horton had heard the same sounds before from the throat of one of the Engineers who had been horribly gassed.

Velmora curated lexicon
tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

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 There was no mistaking it now.

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 He had heard the same thing too, a faint sound, like a cough, followed by a groan as though some one were struggling for breath.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading Another pause while they listened again.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Jim Horton had heard the same sounds before from the throat of one of the Engineers who had been horribly gassed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 17 of The Splendid Outcast by George Gibbs holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 17 of The Splendid Outcast contain?

Chapter 17 holds 414 sentences of The Splendid Outcast, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Splendid Outcast by George Gibbs exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 17 of The Splendid Outcast?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Splendid Outcast

Common questions about reading The Splendid Outcast by George Gibbs on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Splendid Outcast?

Yes. All 7850 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #47900 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Splendid Outcast is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #47900, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Splendid Outcast take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1570 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Splendid Outcast section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 19 chapters of The Splendid Outcast 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 Splendid Outcast

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

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Splendid Outcast; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Secret
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Splendid Outcast; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Witness
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Splendid Outcast; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Golden
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Splendid Outcast; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.