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Up the River
Up the River

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Up the River is here in full — 137 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Up the River
Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ADIEU TO THE BOOMSBYS.
Mr. Peverell, the bank messenger, called at the saloon on his way back.
Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.
By this time they had heard the news, for it was flying all over the city.
He looked very much troubled, as well he might.
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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.

Up the River

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Up the River is here in full — 137 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ADIEU TO THE BOOMSBYS.
Line 2
Mr. Peverell, the bank messenger, called at the saloon on his way back.
Line 3
Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.
/ˈdaʊtləs hiː wɑːz nɑːt ə ˈlɪtəl kənˈsɜːrnd əˈbaʊt ˈmiːtɪŋ ðə ˈɔːfəsərz ʌv ðə bæŋk ˈæftər ðə lɔːs ʌv soʊ lɑːrdʒ ə sʌm ʌv ˈmʌni/
Line 4
By this time they had heard the news, for it was flying all over the city.
/baɪ ðɪs taɪm ðeɪ hæd hɜːrd ðə nuːz fɔːr ɪt wɑːz ˈflaɪɪŋ ɔːl ˈoʊvər ðə ˈsɪti/
Line 5
He looked very much troubled, as well he might.
/hiː lʊkt ˈveri mʌtʃ ˈtrʌbəld æz wel hiː maɪt/

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.

adieu noun US /əˈduː/

a farewell remark

From this reading “ADIEU TO THE BOOMSBYS.”

concerned adjective US /kənˈsɜːrnd/

feeling or showing worry or solicitude

From this reading “Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.”

Doubtless adverb US /ˈdaʊtləs/

without doubt; certainly

From this reading “Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.”

flying adjective US /ˈflaɪɪŋ/

moving swiftly

From this reading “By this time they had heard the news, for it was flying all over the city.”

messenger noun US /ˈmesəndʒər/

a person who carries a message

From this reading “Mr. Peverell, the bank messenger, called at the saloon on his way back.”

saloon noun US /səˈluːn/

a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter

From this reading “Mr. Peverell, the bank messenger, called at the saloon on his way back.”

sum noun US /sʌm/

a quantity of money

From this reading “Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.”

troubled adjective US /ˈtrʌbəld/

characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need

From this reading “He looked very much troubled, as well he might.”

All words in this reading · 52

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 Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.

ADIEUnounUS /əˈduː/

a farewell remark

From this reading ADIEU TO THE BOOMSBYS.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 By this time they had heard the news, for it was flying all over the city.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He looked very much troubled, as well he might.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Mr. Peverell, the bank messenger, called at the saloon on his way back.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Mr. Peverell, the bank messenger, called at the saloon on his way back.

banknounUS /bæŋk/

sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)

From this reading Mr. Peverell, the bank messenger, called at the saloon on his way back.

BOOMSBYS

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

From this reading ADIEU TO THE BOOMSBYS.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By this time they had heard the news, for it was flying all over the city.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Mr. Peverell, the bank messenger, called at the saloon on his way back.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading By this time they had heard the news, for it was flying all over the city.

concernedadjectiveUS /kənˈsɜːrnd/

feeling or showing worry or solicitude

From this reading Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.

DoubtlessadverbUS /ˈdaʊtləs/

without doubt; certainly

From this reading Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.

flyingadjectiveUS /ˈflaɪɪŋ/

moving swiftly

From this reading By this time they had heard the news, for it was flying all over the city.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading By this time they had heard the news, for it was flying all over the city.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading By this time they had heard the news, for it was flying all over the city.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading By this time they had heard the news, for it was flying all over the city.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Mr. Peverell, the bank messenger, called at the saloon on his way back.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading By this time they had heard the news, for it was flying all over the city.

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

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

From this reading He looked very much troubled, as well he might.

lossnounUS /lɔːs/

something that is lost

From this reading Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.

meetingnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋ/

a formally arranged gathering

From this reading Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.

messengernounUS /ˈmesəndʒər/

a person who carries a message

From this reading Mr. Peverell, the bank messenger, called at the saloon on his way back.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading He looked very much troubled, as well he might.

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mr. Peverell, the bank messenger, called at the saloon on his way back.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading He looked very much troubled, as well he might.

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading By this time they had heard the news, for it was flying all over the city.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.

officersnounUS /ˈɔːfəsərz/

plural of “officer” — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

From this reading Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Mr. Peverell, the bank messenger, called at the saloon on his way back.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading By this time they had heard the news, for it was flying all over the city.

Peverell

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

From this reading Mr. Peverell, the bank messenger, called at the saloon on his way back.

saloonnounUS /səˈluːn/

a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter

From this reading Mr. Peverell, the bank messenger, called at the saloon on his way back.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.

sumnounUS /sʌm/

a quantity of money

From this reading Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading ADIEU TO THE BOOMSBYS.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading By this time they had heard the news, for it was flying all over the city.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading By this time they had heard the news, for it was flying all over the city.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading By this time they had heard the news, for it was flying all over the city.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading ADIEU TO THE BOOMSBYS.

troubledadjectiveUS /ˈtrʌbəld/

characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need

From this reading He looked very much troubled, as well he might.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading He looked very much troubled, as well he might.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Mr. Peverell, the bank messenger, called at the saloon on his way back.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading He looked very much troubled, as well he might.

Chapter 3 of Up the River by Oliver Optic holds 137 sentences, grouped into 28 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 3 of Up the River contain?

Chapter 3 holds 137 sentences of Up the River, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Up the River by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 137 sentences, grouped into 28 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 3 of Up the River?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 3 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Up the River

Common questions about reading Up the River by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Up the River?

Yes. All 4015 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24775 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Up the River is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #24775, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Up the River take to read?

About 334 minutes of reading across 803 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Up the River section by section

How to work through Up the River section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 30 chapters of Up the River 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 Up the River

Words and structures a reader meets early in Up the River, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Up the River; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Young
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Up the River; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
America
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Up the River; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Abroad
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Up the River; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.