This was a day of fog, and this day hunger awoke in him again. He was very weak and was afflicted with a giddiness which at times blinded him. It was no uncommon thing now for him to stumble and fall; and stumbling once, he fell squarely into a ptarmigan nest. There were four newly hatched chicks, a day old — little specks of pulsating life no more than a mouthful; and he ate them ravenously, thrusting them alive into his mouth and crunching them like egg-shells between his teeth. The mother ptarmigan beat about him with great outcry. He used his gun as a club with which to knock her over, but she dodged out of reach. He threw stones at her and with one chance shot broke a wing. Then she fluttered away, running, trailing the broken wing, with him in pursuit.

The little chicks had no more than whetted his appetite (маленькие цыплята не более чем возбудили его аппетит; to whet — точить, править /бритву, косу и т. п./; to whet a knife — точить нож; разжигать, раззадоривать; возбуждать /аппетит, желание/). He hopped and bobbed clumsily along on his injured ankle (он неловко прыгал и подскакивал на своей травмированной лодыжке), throwing stones and screaming hoarsely at times (бросая камни и временами хрипло вопя); at other times hopping and bobbing silently along (а временами подпрыгивая и подскакивая молча), picking himself up grimly and patiently (непреклонно и терпеливо поднимаясь; to pick up — поднимать, подбирать) when he fell (когда он падал), or rubbing his eyes with his hand (или тер глаза рукой) when the giddiness threatened to overpower him (когда головокружение угрожало одолеть его).

The chase led him across swampy ground in the bottom of the valley (погоня завела его через болотистую местность в нижнюю часть лощины; swamp — болото; bottom — дно), and he came upon footprints in the soggy moss (и он наткнулся на следы в мокром мху). They were not his own (они = это были не его /следы/) — he could see that (он видел это). They must be Bill's (должно быть, это /следы/ Билла). But he could not stop (но он не мог остановиться), for the mother ptarmigan was running on (ибо мать-куропатка бежала дальше). He would catch her first (сначала он поймает ее), then he would return and investigate (потом он вернется и расследует = займется расследованием; to investigate — расследовать; получать сведения; изучать, исследовать).

The little chicks had no more than whetted his appetite. He hopped and bobbed clumsily along on his injured ankle, throwing stones and screaming hoarsely at times; at other times hopping and bobbing silently along, picking himself up grimly and patiently when he fell, or rubbing his eyes with his hand when the giddiness threatened to overpower him.

The chase led him across swampy ground in the bottom of the valley, and he came upon footprints in the soggy moss. They were not his own — he could see that. They must be Bill's. But he could not stop, for the mother ptarmigan was running on. He would catch her first, then he would return and investigate.

He exhausted the mother ptarmigan (он утомил мать-куропатку; to exhaust — изнурять, утомлять /о живых существах/); but he exhausted himself (но он изнурил /и/ себя). She lay panting on her side (она лежала, тяжело дыша, на боку; to lie — лежать; to pant — часто и тяжело дышать, задыхаться). He lay panting on his side (он лежал, тяжело дыша, на боку), a dozen feet away (в дюжине футов от нее), unable to crawl to her (не в состоянии доползти до нее; unable — неспособный). And as he recovered (а когда он оправился) she recovered (оправилась /и/ она), fluttering out of reach as his hungry hand went out to her (упорхнув за пределы досягаемости, когда его голодная рука вытянулась к ней). The chase was resumed (погоня возобновилась: «была возобновлена»). Night settled down and she escaped (опустилась ночь, и она сбежала). He stumbled from weakness and pitched head foremost on his face (он споткнулся от слабости и упал головой вперед на лицо; to pitch — падать), cutting his cheek, his pack upon his back (порезав щеку, с тюком на спине). He did not move for a long while (долгое время он не двигался); then he rolled over on his side (затем он перекатился на бок), wound his watch (завел часы; to wind — мотать; наматывать; заводить /часы/), and lay there until morning (и лежал там = так до утра).

He exhausted the mother ptarmigan; but he exhausted himself. She lay panting on her side. He lay panting on his side, a dozen feet away, unable to crawl to her. And as he recovered she recovered, fluttering out of reach as his hungry hand went out to her. The chase was resumed. Night settled down and she escaped. He stumbled from weakness and pitched head foremost on his face, cutting his cheek, his pack upon his back. He did not move for a long while; then he rolled over on his side, wound his watch, and lay there until morning.

Another day of fog (еще один туманный день). Half of his last blanket had gone into foot-wrappings (половина его последнего одеяла ушла на обмотки для ног). He failed to pick up Bill's trail (ему не удалось напасть на след Билла; to pick up the trail — напасть на след). It did not matter (это не имело значения; to matter — иметь значение; значить). His hunger was driving him too compellingly (голод гнал его слишком неодолимо) — only — only he wondered (только — только ему было интересно; to wonder — интересоваться; желать знать) if Bill, too, were lost (не заблудился ли Билл тоже). By midday the irk of his pack became too oppressive (к полудню утомление от его рюкзака стало слишком тягостным; to irk — изнурять, утомлять). Again he divided the gold (снова он разделил золото), this time merely spilling half of it on the ground (на этот раз просто высыпав половину его на землю; to spill — рассыпать/ся/). In the afternoon he threw the rest of it away (во второй половине дня он выбросил остаток его), there remaining to him only the half-blanket, the tin bucket, and the rifle (/после чего/ у него осталось лишь пол-одеяла, оловянное ведро и ружье).

An hallucination began to trouble him (его начала тревожить одна галлюцинация). He felt confident that one cartridge remained to him (он чувствовал уверенность: «чувствовал /себя уверенным» в том, что у него остался один патрон). It was in the chamber of the rifle and he had overlooked it (он = патрон был в патроннике ружья, и он не заметил его; to overlook — не заметить, просмотреть, пропустить). On the other hand (с другой стороны), he knew all the time that the chamber was empty (он все время знал, что патронник пуст). But the hallucination persisted (но галлюцинация упорствовала; to persist — упорствовать; сохраняться, продолжать существовать; устоять). He fought it off for hours (он отбивался от нее несколько часов: «часами»; to fight off — отбить, отогнать, выгнать), then threw his rifle open and was confronted with emptiness (затем он раскрыл ружье и столкнулся лицом к лицу с пустотой; to confront — противостоять, смотреть в лицо; сталкиваться лицом к лицу; сталкивать; делать очную ставку). The disappointment was as bitter as though he had really expected to find the cartridge (разочарование было таким горьким, как будто он действительно надеялся найти патрон; to expect — надеяться, предполагать).

Another day of fog. Half of his last blanket had gone into foot-wrappings. He failed to pick up Bill's trail. It did not matter. His hunger was driving him too compellingly — only — only he wondered if Bill, too, were lost. By midday the irk of his pack became too oppressive. Again he divided the gold, this time merely spilling half of it on the ground. In the afternoon he threw the rest of it away, there remaining to him only the half-blanket, the tin bucket, and the rifle.