Question

Read the following excerpt from "I Sell a Dog" by Mark Twain.

I remember a time when a shortage occurred; we had to have three dollars, and we had to have it before the close of the day. I don't know now how we happened to want all that money at one time; I only know we had to have it. Swinton told me to go out and find it and he said he would also go out and see what he could do. He didn't seem to have any doubt that we would succeed but . . . I hadn't the same confidence; I hadn't any idea where to turn to raise all that bullion and I said so.
As it is used in this excerpt, what do you think the word bullion means? What context clues help you determine the meaning of this word in the excerpt? Be sure to use specific details from the text to support your answer.

Answer 1

Bullion is money, specifically gold or silver that has been freshly mined but not cleaned and made into money.

Clues to the meaning include the fact that the kids need "3 dollars", the speaker doesn't know how they wanted all that "money" at one time, and they had to "raise" it, as in "raising money". When he says, "I hadn't any idea where to turn to raise all that bullion..." he means the 3 dollars.

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

Bullion is money, specifically gold or silver that has been freshly mined but not cleaned and made into money.

Clues to the meaning include the fact that the kids need "3 dollars", the speaker doesn't know how they wanted all that "money" at one time, and they had to "raise" it, as in "raising money". When he says, "I hadn't any idea where to turn to raise all that bullion..." he means the 3 dollars.