He knew that mongooses in the garden meant death sooner or later for him and his family , but he wanted to get Rikki-tikki off his guard . So he dropped his head a little , and put it on one side . `` Let us talk , '' he said . `` You eat eggs . Why should not I eat birds ? '' `` Behind you ! Look behind you ! '' sang Darzee . Rikki-tikki knew better than to waste time in staring . He jumped up in the air as high as he could go , and just under him whizzed by the head of Nagaina , Nag 's wicked wife . She had crept up behind him as he was talking , to make an end of him . He heard her savage hiss as the stroke missed . He came down almost across her back , and if he had been an old mongoose he would have known that then was the time to break her back with one bite ; but he was afraid of the terrible lashing return stroke of the cobra . He bit , indeed , but did not bite long enough , and he jumped clear of the whisking tail , leaving Nagaina torn and angry . `` Wicked , wicked Darzee ! '' said Nag , lashing up as high as he could reach toward the nest in the thorn-bush . But Darzee had built it out of reach of snakes , and it only swayed to and fro . Rikki-tikki felt his eyes growing red and hot -LRB- when a mongoose 's eyes grow red , he is angry -RRB- , and he sat back on his tail and hind legs like a little kangaroo , and looked all round him , and chattered with rage . But Nag and Nagaina had disappeared into the grass . When a snake misses its stroke , it never says anything or gives any sign of what it means to do next .
Rikki-tikki did not care to follow them , for he did not feel sure XXXXX he could manage two snakes at once .
across as behind if like of on that under with