And, for an instant, the man had to battle against a craven desire to bolt.
Lad, meanwhile, was having a beautiful time.

Sincerely, he appreciated the playful grab his nocturnal friend had made in his general direction.

Lad had countered this, by frisking away for another five or six feet, and then wheeling about to face once more his playfellow and to await the next move in the blithe gambol.

The pup could see tolerably well, in the darkness quite well enough to play the game his guest had devised.

And of course, he had no way of knowing that the man could not see equally well.
Shaking off his momentary terror, the thief once more pressed the button of his flashlight; swinging the torch in a swift semicircle and extinguishing it at once; lest the dim glow be seen by any wakeful member of the family.
That one quick sweep revealed to his gaze the shiny brown bag a half-dozen feet ahead of him, still swinging several inches above ground.