"I've roamed far; farther than any other man of my race ever wandered. I've seen all the great cities of the Hyborians, the Shemites, the Stygians, and the Hyrkanians. I've roamed in the unknown countries south of the black kingdoms of Kush, and east of the Sea of Vilayet. I've been a mercenary captain, a corsair, a kozak, a penniless vagabond, a general — hell, I've been everything except a king of a civilized country, and I may be that, before I die." The fancy pleased him, and he grinned hardly. Then he shrugged his shoulders and stretched his mighty figure on the rocks. "This is as good a life as any. I don't know how long I'll stay on the frontier; a week, a month, a year. I have a roving foot. But it's as well on the border as anywhere."

Balthus set himself to watch the forest below them (Балтус принялся наблюдать за лесом ниже них). Momentarily he expected to see fierce painted faces thrust through the leaves (в любой момент он ожидал увидеть, /как/ свирепые раскрашенные лица просовываются сквозь листья). But as the hours passed no stealthy footfall disturbed the brooding quiet (но по мере того, как проходили часы, никакой осторожный звук шагов /не/ потревожил нависшую тишину). Balthus believed the Picts had missed their trail and given up the chase (Балтус полагал, /что/ пикты потеряли их след и бросили = прекратили погоню). Conan grew restless (Конан стал беспокойным).

"We should have sighted parties scouring the woods for us (мы должны были увидеть отряды, прочесывающие леса в поисках нас). If they've quit the chase, it's because they're after bigger game (если они прекратили погоню, это потому что они /идут/ за более крупной дичью). They may be gathering to cross the river and storm the fort (они, возможно, собираются пересечь реку и штурмовать форт)."

brood [bru: d], chase [ʧeɪs], cross [krɔs]

Balthus set himself to watch the forest below them. Momentarily he expected to see fierce painted faces thrust through the leaves. But as the hours passed no stealthy footfall disturbed the brooding quiet. Balthus believed the Picts had missed their trail and given up the chase. Conan grew restless.

"We should have sighted parties scouring the woods for us. If they've quit the chase, it's because they're after bigger game. They may be gathering to cross the river and storm the fort."

"Would they come this far south if they lost the trail (они зашли бы так далеко /на/ юг, если бы потеряли след; this far — так далеко)?"

"They've lost the trail, all right; otherwise they'd have been on our necks before now (они потеряли наш след, вполне = они действительно потеряли след, иначе они бы уже набросились на нас: «были бы на наших шеях до сейчас»). Under ordinary circumstances they'd scour the woods for miles in every direction (в обычных обстоятельствах они бы прочесали леса на мили во всех направлениях). Some of them should have passed within sight of this hill (некоторые из них должны были пройти в пределах видимости с этого холма). They must be preparing to cross the river (они, наверное, готовятся пересечь реку). We've got to take a chance and make for the river (нам нужно попытать шанс = попытаться и направиться к реке)."