Chapter 4 of Tracked to his lair is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Tracked to his lair is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE RANCHMAN’S VOW. The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers. “By my saddle, you’re right!” assented Deadshot. “That’s what the trouble is. Somebody’s trying to lift the cattle.
Chapter 4 of Tracked to his lair is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/13 · 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.
a declaration that is made emphatically (as if no supporting evidence were necessary)
From this reading “The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.”
a statement that is emphatic and explicit (spoken or written)
From this reading “The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.”
occurring with no delay
From this reading “The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.”
characterized by plundering or pillaging or marauding
From this reading “The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.”
(chemistry) a process in which one or more substances are changed into others
From this reading “The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.”
a deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture)
From this reading “The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.”
possessive form of “somebody” — a human being
a ghostly appearing figure
From this reading “The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.”
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.
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 The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “By my saddle, you’re right!” assented Deadshot.
a declaration that is made emphatically (as if no supporting evidence were necessary)
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “By my saddle, you’re right!” assented Deadshot.
domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
provide with a covering or cause to be covered
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “By my saddle, you’re right!” assented Deadshot.
a statement that is emphatic and explicit (spoken or written)
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
characteristic of humanity
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
occurring with no delay
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
the creation of something in the mind
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “That’s what the trouble is.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
raise from a lower to a higher position
From this reading Somebody’s trying to lift the cattle.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “By my saddle, you’re right!” assented Deadshot.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
characterized by plundering or pillaging or marauding
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE RANCHMAN’S VOW.
(chemistry) a process in which one or more substances are changed into others
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
precisely, exactly
From this reading “By my saddle, you’re right!” assented Deadshot.
a deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture)
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
put a saddle on
From this reading “By my saddle, you’re right!” assented Deadshot.
possessive form of “somebody” — a human being
From this reading Somebody’s trying to lift the cattle.
a ghostly appearing figure
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “That’s what the trouble is.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE RANCHMAN’S VOW.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
a source of difficulty
From this reading “That’s what the trouble is.
hard to endure
From this reading Somebody’s trying to lift the cattle.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
make a vow; promise
From this reading THE RANCHMAN’S VOW.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “That’s what the trouble is.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “By my saddle, you’re right!” assented Deadshot.
Chapter 4 of Tracked to his lair by Spencer Dair holds 66 sentences, grouped into 14 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 4 holds 66 sentences of Tracked to his lair, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Tracked to his lair by Spencer Dair exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 66 sentences, grouped into 14 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 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 14 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 4 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 Tracked to his lair by Spencer Dair on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1911 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72803 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #72803, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 159 minutes of reading across 383 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tracked to his lair section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of Tracked to his lair 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 Tracked to his lair, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
