Horatio sat with his tail curled about both front paws, watching a moth beating against the outer window- pane, trying
vainly to reach the lamplight. It had been ten minutes since the hall clock chimed half past eleven.
Ben blinked and rubbed his eyes. 'Come on, Ned, time to go.' He took the kitchen key from its hook and
quietly opened the door to the rear of the house.
Horatio followed them out, purring. The big Labrador passed the cat a thought. 'You can't come with us.'
The cat replied mentally. 'Prrrr, 'Ratio go catch butterflies.'
The big moth that had been beating itself against the window flew into the kitchen and began circling the lamp.
The dog turned the cat around with a sweep of his paw, commenting, 'Look, there's a moth, they're fatter than
butterflies, go and catch him. Bet you can't!'
Horatio curled his tail disdainfully. 'Miaow, 'Ratio catch butterflies, prrrr, mop be easier to catch, you watch!'
He ran back indoors. Leaping on the table, he began dabbing his paw at the moth. 'Rrrowwrrr, soon catch mopfly!'
The.big dog nodded. 'That's the stuff, Horatio. You catch the mopfly and have a midnight snack. See you later.
Hmph, mopfly indeed—you'll soon have me as dotty as y'self!'
Ben locked the kitchen door, staring curiously at his friend. 'What was all that about?'
Ned passed him a despairing glance. 'Mopflies. You wouldn't understand. Come on, our friends'll be waiting.'
Amid the dark night shadows Wilf Smithers and his gang stood in the alley alongside Evans Tea Shoppe.
Regina took out a fob watch, which she had received for her birthday, and consulted it. 'Nearly ten minutes to
midnight, he should be here by now.'
A thin, nervous-looking boy named Archie gnawed his thumbnail. 'I don't think he's comin', hadn't we better
home? My mum and dad don't know I sneaked out.'
Wilf grabbed him by the earlobe, tugging him up onto his toes. 'Scared stiff, that's your trouble, Archie. Well
go on, then, run back home quick. But you won't be in this gang anymore if you do!'
Tommo pulled a face at Archie. 'Beat it back home. Who needs you, you skinny little worm!'
Wilf let go of Archie and turned his contempt on the fat boy. 'Who asked you, puddenface, you look twice as
scared as he does!'
'Oh, I don't know, he probably looks about one and a half times as scared as poor Archie, right, Tommo?'
Wilf almost jumped with fright as the blue-eyed boy emerged from the shadows. He recovered himself quickly
and snarled. 'How did you get here?'
As the black Lab and Amy and Alex materialized out of the darkness, Ben smiled. 'Same way you did, of
course. How's the hand, still sore?'
Wilf smiled thinly back at his foe. 'Forget my hand. You're here because you cheated me at that fight. But you
won't dodge your way out of this one. I'll bet that you're a sniveling coward, and too scared to take a dare, aren't you?'
Ben shrugged. 'Why should I take a dare?' Regina called out scornfully from behind Wilf. ' 'Cos if you don't, then
we'll all know you're a coward!' Alex answered her, 'Ben's no coward!' She sneered at him. 'Oh shuttup,
Alexandra!' Amy blazed at the bigger girl. 'And you shuttup, you great bully!'
Ben placed himself between them. 'No need for all this name-calling. I'll take your dare, Wilf, providing it's not
something stupid, like jumping off the church roof and landing on my head, or punching the school wall with my bare
hand.'
There were one or two sniggers from the gang. Wilf silenced them with a glare before turning back. 'It's
nothing like that. There's nothing daft about this dare, so, will you take it?' Ben flicked the hair from his eyes. 'Go on
then, what is it?' Wilf took the fob watch from Regina and glanced at it. 'Two minutes to go. Right on the stroke of
midnight, you will go into the almshouse where the Mad Professor lives. Alone. We'll wait outside to see that you do.
Well, will you do it?' The boy appeared to hesitate and backed off slightly. Wilf grinned wolfishly. 'Hah, you're
scared!' Ben sounded unsure of himself. 'No I'm not, I, er, I just have my reasons for not wanting to go into the
almshouse.'
Regina pointed her finger at him. 'Coward! Coward!'
Alex placed himself in front of his friend. He looked pale and his knees were shaking as he spoke in a voice
barely above a whisper. 'Leave him alone, Ben's already proved he's no coward. I'll take the dare from him, I'll do it.'
Wilf stared at him scornfully. 'You? Hahaha, I can hear your knees knocking like clappers. D'you mean to tell
me you're taking a dare to go into that place?'
The young boy clenched his fists until the knuckles showed white. He swallowed hard and nodded his head.
Wilf curled both hands, like claws, advancing on Alex, eyes wide, his voice in a mock horrified tone. 'Who
knows what you'll find inside that old almshouse, little boy. Spiders, cobwebs, rats, ancient ghosts ... and the
madman!'
A few of the gang giggled and shuddered with nervous anticipation. Somebody even gave a hollow ghostly
whoop. Wilf silenced them with a glare before turning back to his victim.
'Ah yes, the great, bearded madman. He's got a big shotgun, you know. But I don't suppose he'd use it on a little
shrimp like you. Oh no, I'll bet he's got butcher's knives and hooks and a hangman's noose, all ready for young boys
called Alex who come knocking on his door at midnight, when it's pitch dark!'
Ben grasped his friend's arm, there was a note of frightened pleading in his voice. 'Don't do it, Alex, he dared
me... I'll go!'
But Wilf had different ideas, he pulled the towheaded lad away from his young companion. The bully was
enjoying tormenting Alex. 'Oh, no you don't, you've already proved yourself a coward by refusing the dare. I'm going
