tly moving of its own will; nor the
shimmer of two greenish sparks in the air just above it. 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. He flung himself forward at it; refusing to believe he also saw
that queer double glow of pale light just above. He dived for the
satchel with the speed and the accuracy of a football tackle. And that
was all the good it did him.

Perhaps there is something in nature more agile and dismayingly elusive
than a romping young collie. But that "something" is not a mortal man.
As the thief sprang, Lad sprang in unison with him; darting to the left
and a yard or so backward. He came to an expectant standstill once
more; his tail wildly vibrating, his entire furry body tingling with
the glad excitement of the game. This sportive visitor of his was a
veritable godsend. If only he could be coaxed into coming to play with
him every night--!

But presently he noted that the other seemed to have wearied of the
game. After plunging through the air and landing on all fours with his
grasping hands closing on nothingness, the man had remained thus, as if
dazed, for a second or so. Then he had felt the ground all about him.
Then, bewildered, he had scrambled to his feet. Now he was standing,
moveless, his lips working.

Yes, he seemed to be tired of the lovely game;--and just when Laddie
was beginning to enter into the full spirit of it. Once in a while, the
Mistress or the Master stopped playing, during the romps with the
flannel doll. And Laddie had long since hit on a trick for reviving
their interest