How I Became a Ghost: Chapters 20–29

by Tim Tingle
This novel is narrated by a ten-year-old boy who did not survive the Trail of Tears, the forced resettlement of Native Americans during the 19th century.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–19, Chapters 20–29
25 words 111 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. etch
    cause to stand out or be clearly defined or visible
    Her face was etched in pain.
  2. stake
    a strong wooden or metal post driven into the ground
    As if she were a dog tied to a stake, they left her.
  3. distract
    draw someone's attention away from something
    “We need some way to distract the soldiers,” Joseph said, “some way to slow them down.”
  4. sacred
    made, declared, or believed to be holy
    Their job was the hardest and most sacred in all of Choctaw country.
  5. stuffy
    lacking fresh air
    The air was stuffy, but she could breathe.
  6. wring
    twist, squeeze, or compress in order to extract liquid
    As I watched, the woman squeezed the raccoon tight and wrung it out, like she was squeezing water from a wet towel.
  7. menacing
    threatening evil or danger
    He grabbed his shotgun and walked slowly to Pointy Nose. “Ask me that again,” he said, in a low and menacing voice.
  8. mount
    get up on the back of
    As the soldiers mounted their horses and stepped to the icy road, Leader shouted, “Someone will die today.”
  9. recede
    become faint or more distant
    The panther paused at the mention of Naomi. His dark coat receded, and soon Joseph knelt beside me.
  10. rein
    one of a pair of long straps used to control a horse
    The soldiers tugged the reins and moved their horses down the road.
  11. stoop
    bend one's back forward from the waist on down
    He stooped to Nita’s body.
  12. feeble
    lacking bodily or muscular strength or vitality
    They were old and moved so slowly, stepping down with feeble, unsure legs.
  13. wince
    draw back, as with fear or pain
    They winced as they stared at the fallen bonepicker.
  14. frail
    physically weak
    They are frail but they are brave, I thought.
  15. scorch
    make very hot and dry
    Flames shot into the sky, and soon the wagon was a tower of fire. Scorching heat cracked the air.
  16. prophecy
    a prediction uttered under divine inspiration
    “My prophecy comes true. Let him burn.”
  17. buck
    jump vertically, with legs stiff and back arched
    His horse bucked and sent Leader flying from the saddle.
  18. stagger
    walk as if unable to control one's movements
    Leader was staggering. He grabbed a tree trunk to steady himself.
  19. carcass
    the dead body of an animal
    Leader kicked the wolf, and the carcass lifted from the ground. It fell at Naomi’s feet, splattering blood in all directions.
  20. scuffle
    disorderly fighting
    Hearing the scuffle, the soldiers dashed to the river.
  21. stout
    fairly large
    Hundreds of Choctaw ghosts appeared, encircling us. A stout old Choctaw man stepped forward.
  22. throng
    a large gathering of people
    The gathered throng of Choctaws, a thousand strong, lifted their arms and whispered, “Yakoke,” sending their thank you to the heavens.
  23. rustle
    make a dry crackling sound
    The trees rustled in the wake of a soft breeze.
  24. insist
    be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge
    Naomi was reunited with her mother and father, and that very evening she insisted on helping with the cooking.
  25. scarce
    deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand
    The winter was fierce and food was scarce, but our most feared enemy, Leader, left us alone to be with our families.
Created on Fri Oct 23 15:21:47 EDT 2020 (updated Fri Oct 23 15:23:08 EDT 2020)

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