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The Way of a Man
The Way of a Man

Chapter XXVI · Chapter 26

Chapter 26 of The Way of a Man is here in full — 184 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/36 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.
I would have shot it, but reflected that I must not waste a shot on wolves.
Advancing closer toward it, as something about its motions attracted me, I saw it was a dog.
It would not allow me to approach, but as Ellen came it lay down in the grass, and she got close to it.
"It is sick," she said, "or hurt," and she tossed it a bone.
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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 Way of a Man

Chapter XXVI · Chapter 26

Chapter 26 of The Way of a Man is here in full — 184 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/36 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.
/ðeɪ tweɪn ˈiːvɪn æz wiː wɜːr ˈpʌtɪŋ təˈɡeðər ˈaʊər smɔːl bɪˈlɔːŋɪŋz fɔːr ðə rɪˈzʌmpʃən ʌv ˈaʊər ˈdʒɜːrni aɪ lʊkt ʌp ənd sɔː wʌt aɪ tʊk tuː biː ə wʊlf ˈstɔːkɪŋ əˈlɔːŋ ɪn ðə ɡræs nɪr ðə edʒ ʌv ˈaʊər ɪnˈkæmpmɪnt/
Line 2
I would have shot it, but reflected that I must not waste a shot on wolves.
/aɪ wʊd hæv ʃɑːt ɪt bʌt rɪˈflektɪd ðæt aɪ mʌst nɑːt weɪst ə ʃɑːt ɑːn wʊlvz/
Line 3
Advancing closer toward it, as something about its motions attracted me, I saw it was a dog.
/ədˈvænsɪŋ ˈkloʊsər təˈwɔːrd ɪt æz ˈsʌmθɪŋ əˈbaʊt ɪts ˈmoʊʃənz əˈtræktɪd miː aɪ sɔː ɪt wɑːz ə dɔːɡ/
Line 4
It would not allow me to approach, but as Ellen came it lay down in the grass, and she got close to it.
Line 5
"It is sick," she said, "or hurt," and she tossed it a bone.
/ɪt ɪz sɪk ʃiː sed ɔːr hɜːrt ənd ʃiː tɔːst ɪt ə boʊn/

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.

Advancing adjective US /ədˈvænsɪŋ/

moving forward

From this reading “Advancing closer toward it, as something about its motions attracted me, I saw it was a dog.”

belongings noun US /bɪˈlɔːŋɪŋz/

something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone

From this reading “THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.”

bone noun US /boʊn/

rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates

From this reading “"It is sick," she said, "or hurt," and she tossed it a bone.”

encampment noun US /ɪnˈkæmpmɪnt/

a site where people on holiday can pitch a tent

From this reading “THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.”

motions noun US /ˈmoʊʃənz/

plural of “motion” — the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals

From this reading “Advancing closer toward it, as something about its motions attracted me, I saw it was a dog.”

resumption noun US /rɪˈzʌmpʃən/

beginning again

From this reading “THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.”

stalking noun US /ˈstɔːkɪŋ/

a hunt for game carried on by following it stealthily or waiting in ambush

From this reading “THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.”

wolves noun US /wʊlvz/

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

From this reading “I would have shot it, but reflected that I must not waste a shot on wolves.”

All words in this reading · 73

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 THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Advancing closer toward it, as something about its motions attracted me, I saw it was a dog.

AdvancingadjectiveUS /ədˈvænsɪŋ/

moving forward

From this reading Advancing closer toward it, as something about its motions attracted me, I saw it was a dog.

allowverbUS /əˈlaʊ/

make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen

From this reading It would not allow me to approach, but as Ellen came it lay down in the grass, and she got close to it.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

approachverbUS /əˈproʊtʃ/

move towards

From this reading It would not allow me to approach, but as Ellen came it lay down in the grass, and she got close to it.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

attractedverbUS /əˈtræktɪd/

past form of “attract” — direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes

From this reading Advancing closer toward it, as something about its motions attracted me, I saw it was a dog.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

belongingsnounUS /bɪˈlɔːŋɪŋz/

something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

bonenounUS /boʊn/

rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates

From this reading "It is sick," she said, "or hurt," and she tossed it a bone.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I would have shot it, but reflected that I must not waste a shot on wolves.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading It would not allow me to approach, but as Ellen came it lay down in the grass, and she got close to it.

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading It would not allow me to approach, but as Ellen came it lay down in the grass, and she got close to it.

closeradverbUS /ˈkloʊsər/

(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance

From this reading Advancing closer toward it, as something about its motions attracted me, I saw it was a dog.

dognounUS /dɔːɡ/

a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds

From this reading Advancing closer toward it, as something about its motions attracted me, I saw it was a dog.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading It would not allow me to approach, but as Ellen came it lay down in the grass, and she got close to it.

edgenounUS /edʒ/

the boundary of a surface

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

Ellen

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

From this reading It would not allow me to approach, but as Ellen came it lay down in the grass, and she got close to it.

encampmentnounUS /ɪnˈkæmpmɪnt/

a site where people on holiday can pitch a tent

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

EvenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading It would not allow me to approach, but as Ellen came it lay down in the grass, and she got close to it.

grassverbUS /ɡræs/

shoot down, of birds

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I would have shot it, but reflected that I must not waste a shot on wolves.

hurtverbUS /hɜːrt/

be the source of pain

From this reading "It is sick," she said, "or hurt," and she tossed it a bone.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "It is sick," she said, "or hurt," and she tossed it a bone.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I would have shot it, but reflected that I must not waste a shot on wolves.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Advancing closer toward it, as something about its motions attracted me, I saw it was a dog.

journeyverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrni/

undertake a journey or trip

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading It would not allow me to approach, but as Ellen came it lay down in the grass, and she got close to it.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading Advancing closer toward it, as something about its motions attracted me, I saw it was a dog.

motionsnounUS /ˈmoʊʃənz/

plural of “motion” — the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals

From this reading Advancing closer toward it, as something about its motions attracted me, I saw it was a dog.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading I would have shot it, but reflected that I must not waste a shot on wolves.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I would have shot it, but reflected that I must not waste a shot on wolves.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I would have shot it, but reflected that I must not waste a shot on wolves.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "It is sick," she said, "or hurt," and she tossed it a bone.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

puttingnounUS /ˈpʌtɪŋ/

hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

reflectedadjectiveUS /rɪˈflektɪd/

(especially of incident sound or light) bent or sent back

From this reading I would have shot it, but reflected that I must not waste a shot on wolves.

resumptionnounUS /rɪˈzʌmpʃən/

beginning again

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "It is sick," she said, "or hurt," and she tossed it a bone.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading It would not allow me to approach, but as Ellen came it lay down in the grass, and she got close to it.

shotnounUS /ʃɑːt/

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading I would have shot it, but reflected that I must not waste a shot on wolves.

sickadjectiveUS /sɪk/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading "It is sick," she said, "or hurt," and she tossed it a bone.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Advancing closer toward it, as something about its motions attracted me, I saw it was a dog.

stalkingnounUS /ˈstɔːkɪŋ/

a hunt for game carried on by following it stealthily or waiting in ambush

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I would have shot it, but reflected that I must not waste a shot on wolves.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

THEYpronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

tossedverbUS /tɔːst/

past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion

From this reading "It is sick," she said, "or hurt," and she tossed it a bone.

towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading Advancing closer toward it, as something about its motions attracted me, I saw it was a dog.

TWAINnounUS /tweɪn/

two items of the same kind

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Advancing closer toward it, as something about its motions attracted me, I saw it was a dog.

wastenounUS /weɪst/

any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted

From this reading I would have shot it, but reflected that I must not waste a shot on wolves.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

wolfnounUS /wʊlf/

any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs

From this reading THEY TWAIN Even as we were putting together our small belongings for the resumption of our journey, I looked up and saw what I took to be a wolf, stalking along in the grass near the edge of our encampment.

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 I would have shot it, but reflected that I must not waste a shot on wolves.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading I would have shot it, but reflected that I must not waste a shot on wolves.

Chapter 26 of The Way of a Man by Emerson Hough holds 184 sentences, grouped into 37 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 26 of The Way of a Man contain?

Chapter 26 holds 184 sentences of The Way of a Man, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 26 of The Way of a Man by Emerson Hough exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 184 sentences, grouped into 37 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 26 of The Way of a Man?

Work through the 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 37 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 26 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 26 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 Way of a Man

Common questions about reading The Way of a Man by Emerson Hough on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Way of a Man?

Yes. All 6278 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14362 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Way of a Man is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #14362, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Way of a Man take to read?

About 523 minutes of reading across 1256 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Way of a Man section by section

How to work through The Way of a Man section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Way of a Man 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 Way of a Man

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Way of a Man, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Enough
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Way of a Man; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mounting
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Way of a Man; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Horse
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Way of a Man; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Satan
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Way of a Man; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.