'Now, if I kill him here, Nagaina will know; and if I fight him on
the open floor, the odds are in his favour. What am I to do?' said
Rikki-tikki-tavi.

Nag waved to and fro, and then Rikki-tikki heard him drinking from
the biggest water-jar that was used to fill the bath. 'That is good,'
said the snake. 'Now, when Karait was killed, the big man had a
stick. He may have that stick still, but when he comes in to bathe in
the morning he will not have a stick. I shall wait here till he
comes. Nagaina--do you hear me?--I shall wait here in the cool till
daytime.'

There was no answer from outside, so Rikki-tikki knew Nagaina had
gone away. Nag coiled himself down, coil by coil, round the bulge at
the bottom of the water-jar, and Rikki-tikki stayed still as death.
After an hour he began to move, muscle by muscle, toward the jar. Nag
was asleep, and Rikki-tikki looked at his big back, wondering which
would be the best place for a good hold. 'If I don't break his back
at the first jump,' said Rikki, 'he can still fight; and if he
fights--O Rikki!' He looked at the thickness of the neck below the
hood, but that was too much for him; and a bite near the tail would
only make Nag savage.

'It must be the head,' he said at last; 'the head above the hood; and
when I am once there, I must not let go.'

Then he jumped. The head was lying a little clear of the water-jar,
under the curve of it; and, as his teeth met, Rikki braced his back
against the bulge of the red earthen-rare to hold down the head.
This gave him just one second's purchase, and he made the most of it.