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Wacousta
Wacousta

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Wacousta is here in full — 187 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Wacousta
Context Illustration Reading 1/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"To your companies, gentlemen, to your companies on the instant.
There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.
Captain de Haldimar is missing, and the gate has been found unlocked.
Quick, gentlemen, quick; even now the savages may be around us, though unseen."
"Captain de Haldimar missing!--the gate unlocked!" exclaimed a number of voices.
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Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Wacousta

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Wacousta is here in full — 187 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"To your companies, gentlemen, to your companies on the instant.
/tuː jɔːr ˈkʌmpəniːz ˈdʒentəlmɪn tuː jɔːr ˈkʌmpəniːz ɑːn ðə ˈɪnstənt/
Line 2
There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.
/ðer ɪz ˈtriːzən ɪn ðə fɔːrt ənd wiː hæd niːd ʌv ɔːl ˈaʊər ˈdɪlədʒəns ənd ˈkɑːʃən/
Line 3
Captain de Haldimar is missing, and the gate has been found unlocked.
Line 4
Quick, gentlemen, quick; even now the savages may be around us, though unseen."
/kwɪk ˈdʒentəlmɪn kwɪk ˈiːvɪn naʊ ðə ˈsævədʒəz meɪ biː ərˈaʊnd ʌs ðoʊ ənˈsiːn/
Line 5
"Captain de Haldimar missing!--the gate unlocked!" exclaimed a number of voices.

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.

caution noun US /ˈkɑːʃən/

the trait of being cautious; being attentive to possible danger

From this reading “There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.”

companies noun US /ˈkʌmpəniːz/

plural of “company” — an institution created to conduct business

From this reading “"To your companies, gentlemen, to your companies on the instant.”

diligence noun US /ˈdɪlədʒəns/

conscientiousness in paying proper attention to a task; giving the degree of care required in a given situation

From this reading “There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.”

missing adjective US /ˈmɪsɪŋ/

not able to be found

From this reading “Captain de Haldimar is missing, and the gate has been found unlocked.”

savages noun US /ˈsævədʒəz/

plural of “savage” — a member of an uncivilized people

From this reading “Quick, gentlemen, quick; even now the savages may be around us, though unseen."”

treason noun US /ˈtriːzən/

a crime that undermines the offender's government

From this reading “There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.”

unlocked adjective US /ənˈlɑːkt/

not firmly fastened or secured

From this reading “Captain de Haldimar is missing, and the gate has been found unlocked.”

unseen adjective US /ənˈsiːn/

not seen or perceived

From this reading “Quick, gentlemen, quick; even now the savages may be around us, though unseen."”

All words in this reading · 44

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 "Captain de Haldimar missing!--the gate unlocked!" exclaimed a number of voices.

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 There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading Quick, gentlemen, quick; even now the savages may be around us, though unseen."

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Quick, gentlemen, quick; even now the savages may be around us, though unseen."

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Captain de Haldimar is missing, and the gate has been found unlocked.

CaptainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading Captain de Haldimar is missing, and the gate has been found unlocked.

cautionnounUS /ˈkɑːʃən/

the trait of being cautious; being attentive to possible danger

From this reading There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.

companiesnounUS /ˈkʌmpəniːz/

plural of “company” — an institution created to conduct business

From this reading "To your companies, gentlemen, to your companies on the instant.

denounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading Captain de Haldimar is missing, and the gate has been found unlocked.

diligencenounUS /ˈdɪlədʒəns/

conscientiousness in paying proper attention to a task; giving the degree of care required in a given situation

From this reading There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Quick, gentlemen, quick; even now the savages may be around us, though unseen."

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading "Captain de Haldimar missing!--the gate unlocked!" exclaimed a number of voices.

fortnounUS /fɔːrt/

a fortified military post where troops are stationed

From this reading There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading Captain de Haldimar is missing, and the gate has been found unlocked.

gatenounUS /ɡeɪt/

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

From this reading Captain de Haldimar is missing, and the gate has been found unlocked.

gentlemennounUS /ˈdʒentəlmɪn/

plural of “gentleman” — a man of refinement

From this reading "To your companies, gentlemen, to your companies on the instant.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.

Haldimar

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

From this reading Captain de Haldimar is missing, and the gate has been found unlocked.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading Captain de Haldimar is missing, and the gate has been found unlocked.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.

instantnounUS /ˈɪnstənt/

a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)

From this reading "To your companies, gentlemen, to your companies on the instant.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Quick, gentlemen, quick; even now the savages may be around us, though unseen."

missingadjectiveUS /ˈmɪsɪŋ/

not able to be found

From this reading Captain de Haldimar is missing, and the gate has been found unlocked.

neednounUS /niːd/

a condition requiring relief

From this reading There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Quick, gentlemen, quick; even now the savages may be around us, though unseen."

numbernounUS /ˈnʌmbər/

the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals

From this reading "Captain de Haldimar missing!--the gate unlocked!" exclaimed a number of voices.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "To your companies, gentlemen, to your companies on the instant.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.

QuickadjectiveUS /kwɪk/

accomplished rapidly and without delay

From this reading Quick, gentlemen, quick; even now the savages may be around us, though unseen."

savagesnounUS /ˈsævədʒəz/

plural of “savage” — a member of an uncivilized people

From this reading Quick, gentlemen, quick; even now the savages may be around us, though unseen."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "To your companies, gentlemen, to your companies on the instant.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Quick, gentlemen, quick; even now the savages may be around us, though unseen."

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "To your companies, gentlemen, to your companies on the instant.

treasonnounUS /ˈtriːzən/

a crime that undermines the offender's government

From this reading There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.

unlockedadjectiveUS /ənˈlɑːkt/

not firmly fastened or secured

From this reading Captain de Haldimar is missing, and the gate has been found unlocked.

unseenadjectiveUS /ənˈsiːn/

not seen or perceived

From this reading Quick, gentlemen, quick; even now the savages may be around us, though unseen."

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Quick, gentlemen, quick; even now the savages may be around us, though unseen."

voicesnounUS /ˈvɔɪsəz/

plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading "Captain de Haldimar missing!--the gate unlocked!" exclaimed a number of voices.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading There is treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence and caution.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "To your companies, gentlemen, to your companies on the instant.

Chapter 3 of Wacousta by Major (John) Richardson holds 187 sentences, grouped into 38 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 Wacousta contain?

Chapter 3 holds 187 sentences of Wacousta, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Wacousta by Major (John) Richardson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 187 sentences, grouped into 38 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 Wacousta?

Work through the 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 38 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 Wacousta

Common questions about reading Wacousta by Major (John) Richardson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Wacousta?

Yes. All 5202 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4912 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Wacousta is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4912, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Wacousta take to read?

About 433 minutes of reading across 1041 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Wacousta section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 36 chapters of Wacousta 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 Wacousta

Words and structures a reader meets early in Wacousta, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Introduce
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wacousta; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Readers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wacousta; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Scenes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wacousta; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
European
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wacousta; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.