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A Certain Rich Man
A Certain Rich Man

Chapter I

Cover illustration for A Certain Rich Man
Context Illustration Reading 1/42 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.
He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.
He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.
But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.
His mother and Miss Lucy took turns nursing Ward night after night during the hot dry summer.
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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.

A Certain Rich Man

Chapter I

Reading 1/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.
Line 2
He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.
Line 3
He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.
Line 4
But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.
Line 5
His mother and Miss Lucy took turns nursing Ward night after night during the hot dry summer.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Above preposition US /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading “He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.”

Accounts noun US /ˈaccounts/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.”

After preposition US /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “His mother and Miss Lucy took turns nursing Ward night after night during the hot dry summer.”

Afternoon noun US /ˈafternoon/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.”

Again noun US /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.”

Along preposition US /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading “But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.”

Another noun US /ˈanother/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.”

Because conjunction US /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading “He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.”

Before preposition US /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.”

Below preposition US /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading “He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.”

During preposition US /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading “His mother and Miss Lucy took turns nursing Ward night after night during the hot dry summer.”

Hand noun US /hand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.”

John noun US /john/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.”

Liberty noun US /ˈlɪb.ər.ti/

The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.

From this reading “But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.”

Nothing pronoun US /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading “But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.”

Over preposition US /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.”

Remember verb US /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading “He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.”

Told noun US /told/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.”

Took noun US /took/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “His mother and Miss Lucy took turns nursing Ward night after night during the hot dry summer.”

Under preposition US /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading “He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.”

Wounded noun US /wounded/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.”

All words in this reading · 129

Every word is available to listen to. 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 And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

accountsnounUS /ˈaccounts/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading His mother and Miss Lucy took turns nursing Ward night after night during the hot dry summer.

afternoonnounUS /ˈafternoon/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

againnounUS /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

anothernounUS /ˈanother/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.

Barclay

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

From this reading And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

battle

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

From this reading And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

became

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

From this reading And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.

boy

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

From this reading And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

boys

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

called

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

From this reading He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.

cared

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

cave

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

childhood

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

From this reading And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

closed

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

From this reading And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

crack

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

Culpepper

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

delirium

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

direction

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

door

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

From this reading And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

down

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

From this reading He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.

dreams

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

dressed

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

dry

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

From this reading His mother and Miss Lucy took turns nursing Ward night after night during the hot dry summer.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading His mother and Miss Lucy took turns nursing Ward night after night during the hot dry summer.

elm

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

far

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

freedom

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

gibbered

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

go

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

hand

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

From this reading He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

head

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

Hendricks

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

hero

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

hole

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

From this reading He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.

hot

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From this reading His mother and Miss Lucy took turns nursing Ward night after night during the hot dry summer.

how

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

John

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

From this reading And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

lapsed

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

libertynounUS /ˈlɪb.ər.ti/

The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

Lucy

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

From this reading His mother and Miss Lucy took turns nursing Ward night after night during the hot dry summer.

Lucy's

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

made

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

man

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

Martin

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

McHurdie

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

men

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

From this reading He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.

Miss

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

mother

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

mother's

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

night

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

From this reading And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

nursing

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

From this reading His mother and Miss Lucy took turns nursing Ward night after night during the hot dry summer.

occasion

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

other

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

picketed

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

prove

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

From this reading He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.

put

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

remembered

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

Ridge

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

From this reading And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

sat

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

saw

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

slipped

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

From this reading He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.

smallest

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

spent

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

spring

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

From this reading He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.

sprout

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

From this reading He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.

stars

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

summer

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

From this reading His mother and Miss Lucy took turns nursing Ward night after night during the hot dry summer.

Sunday

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

Sycamore

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

From this reading And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And so on the night of the battle of Sycamore Ridge, John Barclay closed the door of his childhood and became a boy.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.

there

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

three

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

throughnounUS /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.

toldnounUS /told/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He called to the men below and told them where he was, and slipped down through, the hole again with an elm sprout in his hand to prove that he had been under the elm tree at the spring.

tooknounUS /took/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading His mother and Miss Lucy took turns nursing Ward night after night during the hot dry summer.

torches

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

town

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

tramping

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

tree

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

turns

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

From this reading His mother and Miss Lucy took turns nursing Ward night after night during the hot dry summer.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

up

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

Ward

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

From this reading His mother and Miss Lucy took turns nursing Ward night after night during the hot dry summer.

Ward's

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

Watts

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

women

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

wore

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

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

wounded

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From this reading But he remembered nothing of the night--how the men picketed the town; how he sat up with them along with the other boys; how the women, under his mother's direction and Miss Lucy's, cared for the wounded man, who lapsed into delirium as the night wore on, and gibbered of liberty and freedom as another man would go over his accounts in his dreams.

wounds

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From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.

years

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

From this reading He did not remember how Ward's wounds were dressed, nor how the town made a hero of the man; but he did remember Watts McHurdie and Martin Culpepper and the Hendricks boys tramping through the cave that night with torches, and he was the hero of that occasion because he was the smallest boy there and they put him up through the crack in the head of the cave, and he saw the stars under the elm tree far above the town, where he and his mother had spent a Sunday afternoon three years before.