Chapter 3 of The X Bar X boys at the round-up is here in full — 184 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The X Bar X boys at the round-up is here in full — 184 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic: “Reckon you’ll hang the ‘Welcome’ sign on your door for us, hey?” Teddy and Roy swung quickly around. Facing them, guns out and still smoking, were three men. One of them had a wart on his nose.
Chapter 3 of The X Bar X boys at the round-up 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
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.
plural of “crack” — a long narrow opening
From this reading “ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:”
in a dry laconic manner
From this reading “ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:”
an extra or repeated performance; usually given in response to audience demand
From this reading “ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:”
a lining applied to the edge of a garment for ornamentation or strengthening
From this reading “Facing them, guns out and still smoking, were three men.”
expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds
From this reading “ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:”
the act of smoking tobacco or other substances
From this reading “Facing them, guns out and still smoking, were three men.”
plaything consisting of a child's toy bear (usually plush and stuffed with soft materials)
From this reading “Teddy and Roy swung quickly around.”
any small rounded protuberance (as on certain plants or animals)
From this reading “One of them had a wart on his nose.”
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.
In this reading “Facing them, guns out and still smoking, were three men.”
In this reading “Facing them, guns out and still smoking, were three men.”
In this reading “ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:”
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 ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
pleasantly occupied
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Teddy and Roy swung quickly around.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
plural of “crack” — a long narrow opening
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading “Reckon you’ll hang the ‘Welcome’ sign on your door for us, hey?”
in a dry laconic manner
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
an extra or repeated performance; usually given in response to audience demand
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
a lining applied to the edge of a garment for ornamentation or strengthening
From this reading Facing them, guns out and still smoking, were three men.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Reckon you’ll hang the ‘Welcome’ sign on your door for us, hey?”
plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading One of them had a wart on his nose.
be suspended or hanging
From this reading “Reckon you’ll hang the ‘Welcome’ sign on your door for us, hey?”
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Reckon you’ll hang the ‘Welcome’ sign on your door for us, hey?”
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading One of them had a wart on his nose.
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
the force of workers available
From this reading Facing them, guns out and still smoking, were three men.
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading One of them had a wart on his nose.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Reckon you’ll hang the ‘Welcome’ sign on your door for us, hey?”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One of them had a wart on his nose.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Facing them, guns out and still smoking, were three men.
with speed
From this reading Teddy and Roy swung quickly around.
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading “Reckon you’ll hang the ‘Welcome’ sign on your door for us, hey?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Teddy and Roy swung quickly around.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading “Reckon you’ll hang the ‘Welcome’ sign on your door for us, hey?”
the act of smoking tobacco or other substances
From this reading Facing them, guns out and still smoking, were three men.
not in physical motion
From this reading Facing them, guns out and still smoking, were three men.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading Teddy and Roy swung quickly around.
plaything consisting of a child's toy bear (usually plush and stuffed with soft materials)
From this reading Teddy and Roy swung quickly around.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Facing them, guns out and still smoking, were three men.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Facing them, guns out and still smoking, were three men.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Reckon you’ll hang the ‘Welcome’ sign on your door for us, hey?”
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading ROY’S KNIFE As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused, and dryly sarcastic:
any small rounded protuberance (as on certain plants or animals)
From this reading One of them had a wart on his nose.
accept gladly
From this reading “Reckon you’ll hang the ‘Welcome’ sign on your door for us, hey?”
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Facing them, guns out and still smoking, were three men.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Reckon you’ll hang the ‘Welcome’ sign on your door for us, hey?”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Reckon you’ll hang the ‘Welcome’ sign on your door for us, hey?”
Chapter 3 of The X Bar X boys at the round-up by James Cody Ferris 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.
Chapter 3 holds 184 sentences of The X Bar X boys at the round-up, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The X Bar X boys at the round-up by James Cody Ferris 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 X Bar X boys at the round-up by James Cody Ferris on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4545 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #76660 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #76660, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 378 minutes of reading across 909 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The X Bar X boys at the round-up section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of The X Bar X boys at the round-up 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 X Bar X boys at the round-up, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
