Chapter 17 of True to the Old Flag is here in full — 252 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of True to the Old Flag is here in full — 252 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE SCOUT'S STORY. "Luckily enough there was a canoe lying close at our feet. 'Shove it out, Jack,' says I, 'and then keep along the bank.' We gave it a shove with all our strength and sent it dancing out into the river. Then we dived in and swum down close under the bank.
Chapter 17 of True to the Old Flag is here in full — 252 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/50 · 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.
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading “'Shove it out, Jack,' says I, 'and then keep along the bank.'”
small and light boat; pointed at both ends; propelled with a paddle
From this reading “"Luckily enough there was a canoe lying close at our feet.”
taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music
From this reading “We gave it a shove with all our strength and sent it dancing out into the river.”
past form of “dive” — drop steeply
From this reading “Then we dived in and swum down close under the bank.”
by good fortune
From this reading “"Luckily enough there was a canoe lying close at our feet.”
possessive form of “scout” — a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading “THE SCOUT'S STORY.”
come into rough contact with while moving
From this reading “'Shove it out, Jack,' says I, 'and then keep along the bank.'”
inflected form of “swim” — travel through water
From this reading “Then we dived in and swum down close under the bank.”
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 "Luckily enough there was a canoe lying close at our feet.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading We gave it a shove with all our strength and sent it dancing out into the river.
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading 'Shove it out, Jack,' says I, 'and then keep along the bank.'
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading 'Shove it out, Jack,' says I, 'and then keep along the bank.'
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Luckily enough there was a canoe lying close at our feet.
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading 'Shove it out, Jack,' says I, 'and then keep along the bank.'
small and light boat; pointed at both ends; propelled with a paddle
From this reading "Luckily enough there was a canoe lying close at our feet.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading "Luckily enough there was a canoe lying close at our feet.
taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music
From this reading We gave it a shove with all our strength and sent it dancing out into the river.
past form of “dive” — drop steeply
From this reading Then we dived in and swum down close under the bank.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Then we dived in and swum down close under the bank.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading "Luckily enough there was a canoe lying close at our feet.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading "Luckily enough there was a canoe lying close at our feet.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading We gave it a shove with all our strength and sent it dancing out into the river.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading 'Shove it out, Jack,' says I, 'and then keep along the bank.'
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then we dived in and swum down close under the bank.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading We gave it a shove with all our strength and sent it dancing out into the river.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading 'Shove it out, Jack,' says I, 'and then keep along the bank.'
a small worthless amount
From this reading 'Shove it out, Jack,' says I, 'and then keep along the bank.'
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading 'Shove it out, Jack,' says I, 'and then keep along the bank.'
by good fortune
From this reading "Luckily enough there was a canoe lying close at our feet.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading "Luckily enough there was a canoe lying close at our feet.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "Luckily enough there was a canoe lying close at our feet.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading 'Shove it out, Jack,' says I, 'and then keep along the bank.'
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading We gave it a shove with all our strength and sent it dancing out into the river.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading 'Shove it out, Jack,' says I, 'and then keep along the bank.'
possessive form of “scout” — a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading THE SCOUT'S STORY.
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading We gave it a shove with all our strength and sent it dancing out into the river.
come into rough contact with while moving
From this reading 'Shove it out, Jack,' says I, 'and then keep along the bank.'
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading THE SCOUT'S STORY.
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading We gave it a shove with all our strength and sent it dancing out into the river.
inflected form of “swim” — travel through water
From this reading Then we dived in and swum down close under the bank.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SCOUT'S STORY.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading 'Shove it out, Jack,' says I, 'and then keep along the bank.'
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Luckily enough there was a canoe lying close at our feet.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Then we dived in and swum down close under the bank.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Luckily enough there was a canoe lying close at our feet.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We gave it a shove with all our strength and sent it dancing out into the river.
in the company of; together with
From this reading We gave it a shove with all our strength and sent it dancing out into the river.
Chapter 17 of True to the Old Flag by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty holds 252 sentences, grouped into 51 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 17 holds 252 sentences of True to the Old Flag, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of True to the Old Flag by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 252 sentences, grouped into 51 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 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 51 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 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.
Common questions about reading True to the Old Flag by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5340 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8859 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #8859, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 445 minutes of reading across 1068 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through True to the Old Flag section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of True to the Old Flag 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 True to the Old Flag, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
