he had missed any. At last there were only three eggs left, and
Rikki-tikki began to chuckle to himself, when he heard Darzee's wife
screaming:

'Rikki-tikki, I led Nagaina toward the house, and she has gone into
the verandah, and--oh, come quickly--she means killing!'

Rikki-tikki smashed two eggs, and tumbled backward down the melon-bed
with the third egg in his mouth, and scuttled to the verandah as hard
as he could put foot to the ground. Teddy and his mother and father
were there at early breakfast; but Rikki-tikki saw that they were not
eating anything. They sat stone-still, and their faces were white.
Nagaina was coiled up on the matting by Teddy's chair, within easy
striking distance of Teddy's bare leg, and she was swaying to and fro
singing a song of triumph.

'Son of the big man that killed Nag,' she hissed, 'stay still. I am
not ready yet. Wait a little. Keep very still, all you three. If you
move I strike, and if you do not move I strike. Oh, foolish people,
who killed my Nag!'

Teddy's eyes were fixed on his father, and all his father could do
was to whisper, 'Sit still, Teddy. You mustn't move. Teddy, keep
still.'

Then Rikki-tikki came up and cried: 'Turn round, Nagaina; turn and
fight!'

'All in good time,' said she, without moving her eyes. 'I will settle
my account with _you_ presently. Look at your friends, Rikki-tikki.