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The Intriguers
The Intriguers

Chapter XI

Cover illustration for The Intriguers
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.
"You're not only very rash--and very clumsy--but you're lucky.
That's the only vacant tepee in the whole village.
And my friends don't seem to have heard you."
They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.
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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.

The Intriguers

Chapter XI

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.
Line 2
"You're not only very rash--and very clumsy--but you're lucky.
Line 3
That's the only vacant tepee in the whole village.
Line 4
And my friends don't seem to have heard you."
Line 5
They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.

Learner Dictionary

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

Bluff adjective US /blʌf/

direct and plain-spoken in manner, sometimes seeming rough

From this reading “They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.”

Clumsy adjective US /ˈklʌmzi/

awkward in movement or handling things

From this reading “"You're not only very rash--and very clumsy--but you're lucky.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “And my friends don't seem to have heard you."”

Still noun US /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.”

All words in this reading · 52

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

aimed

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

From this reading THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "You're not only very rash--and very clumsy--but you're lucky.

bluffadjectiveUS /blʌf/

direct and plain-spoken in manner, sometimes seeming rough

From this reading They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "You're not only very rash--and very clumsy--but you're lucky.

cautiously

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

From this reading They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.

Clarke

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

From this reading THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.

clumsyadjectiveUS /ˈklʌmzi/

awkward in movement or handling things

From this reading "You're not only very rash--and very clumsy--but you're lucky.

comparatively

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

From this reading They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.

don't

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

From this reading And my friends don't seem to have heard you."

easier

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

From this reading They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.

feet

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

From this reading THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.

felt

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

From this reading They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.

FEVER

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

From this reading THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.

friends

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

From this reading And my friends don't seem to have heard you."

Harding

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

From this reading THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading And my friends don't seem to have heard you."

heard

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

From this reading And my friends don't seem to have heard you."

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading That's the only vacant tepee in the whole village.

laughed

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

From this reading THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.

lucky

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

From this reading "You're not only very rash--and very clumsy--but you're lucky.

moved

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

From this reading They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading And my friends don't seem to have heard you."

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "You're not only very rash--and very clumsy--but you're lucky.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.

only

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

From this reading "You're not only very rash--and very clumsy--but you're lucky.

PATIENT

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

From this reading THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.

pistol

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

From this reading THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.

quickly

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

From this reading They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.

rash

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

From this reading "You're not only very rash--and very clumsy--but you're lucky.

reached

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

From this reading They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.

safe

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

From this reading They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.

scrambled

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

From this reading THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.

seem

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

From this reading And my friends don't seem to have heard you."

stillnounUS /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.

tepee

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

From this reading That's the only vacant tepee in the whole village.

That's

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

From this reading That's the only vacant tepee in the whole village.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.

thick

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

From this reading They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.

vacant

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

From this reading That's the only vacant tepee in the whole village.

very

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

From this reading "You're not only very rash--and very clumsy--but you're lucky.

village

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

From this reading That's the only vacant tepee in the whole village.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.

whole

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

From this reading That's the only vacant tepee in the whole village.

willow

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

From this reading They moved on very quickly and cautiously, and when they reached the thick willow bluff, where they were comparatively safe, Harding felt easier.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE FEVER PATIENT When Harding scrambled to his feet, with his pistol still aimed, Clarke laughed.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading And my friends don't seem to have heard you."

You're

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

From this reading "You're not only very rash--and very clumsy--but you're lucky.