knock [nɔk], husband [ˈhʌzbənd], women [ˈwɪmɪn]

Presently they saw another cabin looming ahead. The woman started to shriek a warning, but Balthus stopped her. He hurried to the door and knocked. A woman's voice answered him. He repeated his warning, and soon the cabin disgorged its occupants — an old woman, two young women, and four children. Like the other woman's husband, their men had gone to the salt licks the day before, unsuspecting of any danger. One of the young women seemed dazed, the other prone to hysteria. But the old woman, a stern old veteran of the frontier, quieted them harshly; she helped Balthus get out the two horses that were stabled in a pen behind the cabin and put the children on them. Balthus urged that she herself mount with them, but she shook her head and made one of the younger women ride.

"She's with child," grunted the old woman (она с ребенком = она ждет ребенка, — проворчала старуха). "I can walk — and fight, too, if it comes to that (я могу идти — и сражаться тоже, если это = дело дойдет до этого)."

As they set out, one of the young women said (когда они отправились, одна из молодых женщин сказала): "A young couple passed along the road about dusk (молодая пара проехала по дороге перед сумерками); we advised them to spend the night at our cabin, but they were anxious to make the fort tonight (мы советовали им провести ночь в нашей избе, но они хотели добраться до форта сегодня вечером; to be anxious to do smth. — хотеть, сильно желать сделать что-л.). Did — did — (делали = они…; did — служебный глагол прошедшего времени, который сообщает, что сейчас будет задан вопрос)"

"They met the Picts," answered Balthus briefly, and the woman sobbed in horror (они встретили пиктов, — ответил Балтус коротко, и женщина всхлипнула в ужасе).

anxious [ˈæŋkʃəs], briefly [ˈbri: flɪ], horror [ˈhɔrə]

"She's with child," grunted the old woman. "I can walk — and fight, too, if it comes to that."

As they set out, one of the young women said: "A young couple passed along the road about dusk; we advised them to spend the night at our cabin, but they were anxious to make the fort tonight. Did — did —»

"They met the Picts," answered Balthus briefly, and the woman sobbed in horror.

They were scarcely out of sight of the cabin when some distance behind them quavered a long high-pitched yell (они едва оказались вне видимости от дома = едва дом пропал из виду, когда = как на некотором расстоянии позади них завибрировал долгий пронзительный вопль).

"A wolf!" exclaimed one of the women (волк! — воскликнула одна из женщин).

"A painted wolf with an ax in his hand," muttered Balthus (раскрашенный волк с топором в /его/ руке, — пробормотал Балтус). "Go (идите / вперед)! Rouse the other settlers along the road and take them with you (поднимайте других поселенцев по дороге и уводите их с собой). I'll scout along behind (я разведаю сзади / прикрою)."

scarcely [ˈskɑ:slɪ], quaver [ˈkweɪvə], scout [skaut]

They were scarcely out of sight of the cabin when some distance behind them quavered a long high-pitched yell.

"A wolf!" exclaimed one of the women.

"A painted wolf with an ax in his hand," muttered Balthus. "Go! Rouse the other settlers along the road and take them with you. I'll scout along behind."

Without a word the old woman herded her charges ahead of her (без слов старуха погнала своих подопечных впереди себя). As they faded into the darkness, Balthus could see the pale-ovals that were the faces of the children twisted back over their shoulders to stare toward him (когда они растаяли во тьме, Балтус мог видеть бледные овалы, которые были лицами детей, обернувшихся через плечо, /чтобы/ посмотреть в его сторону: «к нему»). He remembered his own people on the Tauran and a moment's giddy sickness swam over him (он вспомнил своих родных: «его собственных людей» в Тауране, и секундная головокружительная тошнота нахлынула на него). With momentary weakness he groaned and sank down in the road (от кратковременной слабости он охнул и опустился на дорогу), his muscular arm fell over Slasher's massive neck and he felt the dog's warm moist tongue touch his face (его мускулистая рука упала через = охватила массивную шею Задиры, и он почувствовал, /как/ теплый влажный язык пса коснулся его лица).

remember [rɪˈmembə], giddy [ˈɡɪdɪ], muscular [ˈmʌskjulə]

Without a word the old woman herded her charges ahead of her. As they faded into the darkness, Balthus could see the pale-ovals that were the faces of the children twisted back over their shoulders to stare toward him. He remembered his own people on the Tauran and a moment's giddy sickness swam over him. With momentary weakness he groaned and sank down in the road, his muscular arm fell over Slasher's massive neck and he felt the dog's warm moist tongue touch his face.

He lifted his head and grinned with a painful effort (он поднял /свою/ голову и улыбнулся с болезненным усилием = выдавил улыбку).

"Come on, boy," he mumbled, rising (давай, парень, — пробурчал он, поднимаясь). "We've got work to do (у нас есть работа: «мы имеем работу делать»)."

He lifted his head and grinned with a painful effort.

"Come on, boy," he mumbled, rising. "We've got work to do."

A red glow suddenly became evident through the trees (красное зарево вдруг стало видно сквозь деревья = вдруг сквозь деревья стало видно красное зарево; evident — очевидный). The Picts had fired the last hut (пикты подожгли последнюю хижину). He grinned (он ухмыльнулся). How Zogar Sag would froth if he knew his warriors had let their destructive natures get the better of them (как бы вскипел Зогар Саг, если бы он узнал, что его воины позволили своей разрушительной сущности взять верх над собой). The fire would warn the people farther up the road (огонь предупредит людей дальше по дороге). They would be awake and alert when the fugitives reached them (они проснутся и поднимут тревогу, когда беглецы доберутся до них). But his face grew grim (но его лицо помрачнело). The women were traveling slowly, on foot and on the overloaded horses (женщины двигались медленно пешком и на перегруженных лошадях). The swift-footed Picts would run them down within a mile, unless — he took his position behind a tangle of fallen logs beside the trail (быстроногие пикты догонят их через милю, если он /не/ займет /свою/ позицию за грудой поваленных бревен возле тропы). The road west of him was lighted by the burning cabin (дорога на западе от него была освещена горящей хижиной), and when the Picts came he saw them first — black furtive figures etched against the distant glare (и когда пикты подошли, он увидел их первым — черные крадущие фигуры, отпечатавшиеся на фоне далекого зарева).

evident [ˈevɪdənt], overloaded [əuvəˈləudɪd], glare [ɡlɛə]

A red glow suddenly became evident through the trees. The Picts had fired the last hut. He grinned. How Zogar Sag would froth if he knew his warriors had let their destructive natures get the better of them. The fire would warn the people farther up the road. They would be awake and alert when the fugitives reached them. But his face grew grim. The women were traveling slowly, on foot and on the overloaded horses. The swift-footed Picts would run them down within a mile, unless — he took his position behind a tangle of fallen logs beside the trail. The road west of him was lighted by the burning cabin, and when the Picts came he saw them first — black furtive figures etched against the distant glare.