[Half Vast Conspiracy]

... but how is the man supposed to know they are not dangerous.

Are you suggesting that the dogs were not dangerous? If so, how do you know?

[Bayard]

It is a rhetorical question. Missed putting in the ? mark. The point I wanted to make was that it seems that the loose dogs seemed threatening. In such a situation how would one know if these unknown dogs were dangerous ones or not?