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He sprang up and glared wildly about for his companion, expecting to see him overwhelmed by numbers. Then he realized the full strength and ferocity of the Cimmerian. Conan bestrode two of his attackers, shorn half asunder by that terrible broadsword. As Balthus looked he saw the Cimmerian beat down a thrusting shortsword, avoid the stroke of an ax with a cat-like side-wise spring which brought him within arm's length of a squat savage stooping for a bow. Before the Pict could straighten, the red sword flailed down and clove him from shoulder to midbreastbone, where the blade stuck. The remaining warriors rushed in, one from either side. Balthus hurled his ax with an accuracy that reduced the attackers to one, and Conan, abandoning his efforts to free his sword, wheeled and met the remaining Pict with his bare hands. The stocky warrior, a head shorter than his tall enemy, leaped in, striking with his ax, at the same time stabbing murderously with his knife. The knife broke on the Cimmerian's mail, and the ax checked in midair as Conan's fingers locked like iron on the descending arm. A bone snapped loudly, and Balthus saw the Pict wince and falter. The next instant he was swept off his feet, lifted high above the Cimmerian's head — he writhed in midair for an instant, kicking and thrashing, and then was dashed headlong to the earth with such force that he rebounded, and then lay still, his limp posture telling of splintered limbs and a broken spine.

"Come on!" Conan wrenched his sword free and snatched up an ax (давай / ну же! — Конан провернул свой меч свободный = провернув, высвободил меч и выхватил топор). "Grab a bow and a handful of arrows, and hurry (хватай лук и пригорошню стрел — и поспеши)! We've got to trust to our heels again (мы должны снова довериться нашим ногам). That yell was heard (этот крик был услышан). They'll be here in no time (они будут здесь мигом; in no time — мигом, мгновенно, очень скоро: «в никакое время»). If we tried to swim now, they'd feather us with arrows before we reached midstream (если бы мы попытались поплыть сейчас, они бы утыкали нас стрелами, до того, как мы добрались бы до середины реки)!"

hurry ['hr], feather ['fed], arrow ['aeru]

"Come on!" Conan wrenched his sword free and snatched up an ax. "Grab a bow and a handful of arrows, and hurry! We've got to trust to our heels again. That yell was heard. They'll be here in no time. If we tried to swim now, they'd feather us with arrows before we reached midstream!"

<p>6. Red Axes of the Border</p><p>(Красные топоры границы)</p>

Conan did not plunge deeply into the forest (Конан не погрузился глубоко в лес). A few hundred yards from the river, he altered his slanting course and ran parallel with it (/в/ нескольких сотнях ярдов от реки он поменял свой наклонный курс и побежал параллельно ему). Balthus recognized a grim determination not to be hunted away from the river which they must cross if they were to warn the men in the fort (Балтус распознал мрачную решимость не быть отогнанным = не уходить от реки, которую они должны пересечь, если им предстояло предупредить людей в форте). Behind them rose more loudly the yells of the forest men (позади них поднялись громче крики лесных людей). Balthus believed the Picts had reached the glade where the bodies of the slain men lay (Балтус полагал, /что/ пикты добрались до поляны, где лежали тела убитых людей). Then further yells seemed to indicate that the savages were streaming into the woods in pursuit (дальнейшие крики, казалось, указывают, что дикари устремились в лес в погоню). They had left a trail any Pict could follow (они оставили след, /по которому/ мог пойти любой пикт).

plunge [pln], parallel ['paerlel], pursuit [p'sju: t]

Conan did not plunge deeply into the forest. A few hundred yards from the river, he altered his slanting course and ran parallel with it. Balthus recognized a grim determination not to be hunted away from the river which they must cross if they were to warn the men in the fort. Behind them rose more loudly the yells of the forest men. Balthus believed the Picts had reached the glade where the bodies of the slain men lay. Then further yells seemed to indicate that the savages were streaming into the woods in pursuit. They had left a trail any Pict could follow.

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