Chapter 2 of The Spoilers of the Valley is here in full — 385 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Spoilers of the Valley is here in full — 385 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The Wolf Note At the door, the man carrying the rifle came close to Eileen. He caught her hand in his and tapped it lightly. "Don't worry, little girl! I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like." "Thank you!
Chapter 2 of The Spoilers of the Valley is here in full — 385 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/77 · 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.
-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading “The Wolf Note At the door, the man carrying the rifle came close to Eileen.”
causing distress or worry or anxiety
From this reading “I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."”
without good reason
From this reading “He caught her hand in his and tapped it lightly.”
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading “The Wolf Note At the door, the man carrying the rifle came close to Eileen.”
in a condition for letting out liquid drawn out as by piercing or drawing a plug
From this reading “He caught her hand in his and tapped it lightly.”
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading “I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."”
any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs
From this reading “The Wolf Note At the door, the man carrying the rifle came close to Eileen.”
be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy
From this reading “"Don't worry, little girl!”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He caught her hand in his and tapped it lightly.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The Wolf Note At the door, the man carrying the rifle came close to Eileen.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The Wolf Note At the door, the man carrying the rifle came close to Eileen.
-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading The Wolf Note At the door, the man carrying the rifle came close to Eileen.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading He caught her hand in his and tapped it lightly.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading The Wolf Note At the door, the man carrying the rifle came close to Eileen.
causing distress or worry or anxiety
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Don't worry, little girl!
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The Wolf Note At the door, the man carrying the rifle came close to Eileen.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Wolf Note At the door, the man carrying the rifle came close to Eileen.
plural of “fellow” — a boy or man
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
a young female
From this reading "Don't worry, little girl!
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading He caught her hand in his and tapped it lightly.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He caught her hand in his and tapped it lightly.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He caught her hand in his and tapped it lightly.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He caught her hand in his and tapped it lightly.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He caught her hand in his and tapped it lightly.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He caught her hand in his and tapped it lightly.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
without good reason
From this reading He caught her hand in his and tapped it lightly.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Don't worry, little girl!
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The Wolf Note At the door, the man carrying the rifle came close to Eileen.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
a brief written record
From this reading The Wolf Note At the door, the man carrying the rifle came close to Eileen.
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading The Wolf Note At the door, the man carrying the rifle came close to Eileen.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
in a condition for letting out liquid drawn out as by piercing or drawing a plug
From this reading He caught her hand in his and tapped it lightly.
express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading "Thank you!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Wolf Note At the door, the man carrying the rifle came close to Eileen.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Wolf Note At the door, the man carrying the rifle came close to Eileen.
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs
From this reading The Wolf Note At the door, the man carrying the rifle came close to Eileen.
be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy
From this reading "Don't worry, little girl!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I tried my best to keep them from disturbing you," he said in low tones, "but you know what these fellows are like."
Chapter 2 of The Spoilers of the Valley by Robert Watson holds 385 sentences, grouped into 77 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 2 holds 385 sentences of The Spoilers of the Valley, unabridged, divided into 77 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Spoilers of the Valley by Robert Watson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 385 sentences, grouped into 77 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 77 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 77 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 2 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 Spoilers of the Valley by Robert Watson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7776 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29588 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #29588, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1556 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Spoilers of the Valley section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of The Spoilers of the Valley 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 Spoilers of the Valley, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
