Crossing the Wire: Chapters 21–28

by Will Hobbs
A fifteen-year-old boy makes the dangerous journey from Mexico to the United States in search of work.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–12, Chapters 13–20, Chapters 21–28
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. wrangle
    herd or round up
    The chicken wrangler wanted to blend in with his chickens, in case he got caught.
  2. bristle
    react in an offended or angry manner
    Jarra bristled. “You ought to show some respect. I don't like your attitude."
  3. crude
    not carefully or expertly made
    Jarra fired up the motor and we rolled ahead. Another couple of gullies, and the airstrip was right in front of us. It was rough, crudely hacked out of the cactus and mesquite.
  4. hack
    chop or cut away
    Jarra fired up the motor and we rolled ahead. Another couple of gullies, and the airstrip was right in front of us. It was rough, crudely hacked out of the cactus and mesquite.
  5. bale
    a large bundle bound for storage or transport
    Jarra flicked his donkey tail. “Hurry! Help me with these bales.”
  6. disillusionment
    freeing from false belief
    It was anger that got me through those first miles, along with hurt, disbelief, and disillusionment. How could he have deceived me like that?
  7. recede
    pull back or move away or backward
    The oldest mule, who had a receding hairline and a perpetual grin carved in the lines of his face, pointed at a shiny, stationary disc in the western sky.
  8. perpetual
    uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing
    The oldest mule, who had a receding hairline and a perpetual grin carved in the lines of his face, pointed at a shiny, stationary disc in the western sky.
  9. haywire
    not functioning properly
    When I blinked, my eyelids scraped. My body was going haywire. The heat was going to kill me.
  10. delirious
    experiencing hallucinations
    I was light-headed and delirious.
  11. brunt
    the main part, especially of a force or shock
    The slope was taking the brunt of the midday sun, and we were drenched with sweat.
  12. scald
    burn with a hot liquid or steam
    “I'm afraid I will scald my tongue.” I took off the cap and pretended to drink. “Now we're both out of water.”
  13. prospector
    someone who explores an area for mineral deposits
    Without water, a prospector wouldn't have lasted long enough to build a shack.
  14. sheer
    very steep; having a prominent and almost vertical front
    Above us, there was only sheer rock vaulting into the darkening sky.
  15. apparition
    a ghostly appearing figure
    I blinked and the jaguar was still there, big as life in the silvery light, on a ledge that might connect to ours. I wanted to jab Rico's shoulder, but couldn’t take my eyes off the apparition.
  16. poised
    marked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action
    To my amazement, the great cat was poised to start down the break.
  17. corral
    a pen for cattle
    Around the bend we came to a corral, which made us wary.
  18. fester
    generate pus
    We were as bad off as we looked, all covered with scratches and festering cactus needles.
  19. distinguished
    befitting an eminent person
    Enrique had a distinguished silver mustache and a limp.
  20. sear
    cause to wither or parch from exposure to heat
    The long days of searing heat in the desert were almost hard to imagine.
Created on Tue May 05 09:25:25 EDT 2020 (updated Tue May 05 09:47:38 EDT 2020)

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