"You killed the soldier?"

"Of course. I slid over the wall when he was on the other side of the garden. I hid in the bushes; he heard me, or thought he heard something. When he came blundering over, it was no trick at all to get behind him and suddenly grip his neck and choke out his fool's life. He was like most men, half blind in the dark. A good thief should have eyes like a cat."

"You made one mistake," said Conan.

Taurus' eyes flashed angrily.

"I? I, a mistake? Impossible!"

"You should have dragged the body into the bushes (тебе следовало оттащить тело в кусты)."

"Said the novice to the master of the art (сказал новичок мастеру в этом ремесле). They will not change the guard until past midnight (они не будут сменять караул = смена караула будет не раньше, чем за полночь). Should any come searching for him now and find his body (если кто-нибудь пришел бы искать его = пришел бы за ним сейчас и нашел бы его тело), they would flee at once to Yara (то убежал бы сразу к Яре; at once — сразу же, тотчас же, немедленно), bellowing the news (вопя о новости), and give us time to escape (и дал бы нам время сбежать). Were they not to find it (если бы они не нашли его), they'd go beating up the bushes and catch us like rats in a trap (они бы направились = стали прочесывать кусты и поймали бы нас, как крыс в ловушку = в крысоловку; to beat — бить; обрыскать /лес/)."

novice [ˈnɔvɪs], once [wʌns], news [nju:z]

"You should have dragged the body into the bushes."

"Said the novice to the master of the art. They will not change the guard until past midnight. Should any come searching for him now and find his body, they would flee at once to Yara, bellowing the news, and give us time to escape. Were they not to find it, they'd go beating up the bushes and catch us like rats in a trap."

"You are right (ты прав)," agreed Conan (согласился Конан).