"Give me your ax," murmured Conan softly. "Something is close behind us." "Then we'd better leave the trail!" exclaimed Balthus. Conan shook his head and drew his companion into a dense thicket. The moon rose higher, making a dim light in the path.

"We can't fight the whole tribe!" whispered Balthus.

"No human being could have found our trail so quickly, or followed us so swiftly," muttered Conan. "Keep silent."

There followed a tense silence in which Balthus felt that his heart could be heard pounding for miles away (/там/ последовала напряженная тишина, в которой Балтус чувствовал, что стук его сердца мог быть услышан = можно услышать за мили /прочь/). Then abruptly, without a sound to announce its coming, a savage head appeared in the dim path (затем резко без звука, возвещающего его появление, свирепая голова появилась на неясной тропинке). Balthus' heart jumped into his throat; at first glance he feared to look upon the awful head of the saber-tooth (сердце Балтуса подпрыгнуло к /его/ горлу, при первом взгляде он испугался, /что/ смотрит на = видит ужасную голову саблезубого). But this head was smaller, more narrow; it was a leopard which stood there, snarling silently and glaring down the trail (но эта голова была меньше, более узкая, это был леопард, который стоял там = там стоял леопард, безмолвно рыча и разглядывая тропу). What wind there was was blowing toward the hiding men, concealing their scent (тот ветер, что /там/ был, дул в сторону прячущихся людей, скрывая их запах). The beast lowered his head and snuffed the trail, then moved forward uncertainly (зверь наклонил /свою/ голову и обнюхал тропинку, затем двинулся вперед неуверенно). A chill played down Balthus' spine (озноб пробежал по позвоночнику = спине Балтуса). The brute was undoubtedly trailing them (животное, несомненно, выслеживало их).

heart [hɑ:t], heard [hə: d], scent [sent]

There followed a tense silence in which Balthus felt that his heart could be heard pounding for miles away. Then abruptly, without a sound to announce its coming, a savage head appeared in the dim path. Balthus' heart jumped into his throat; at first glance he feared to look upon the awful head of the saber-tooth. But this head was smaller, more narrow; it was a leopard which stood there, snarling silently and glaring down the trail. What wind there was was blowing toward the hiding men, concealing their scent. The beast lowered his head and snuffed the trail, then moved forward uncertainly. A chill played down Balthus' spine. The brute was undoubtedly trailing them.