Don't feel bad. That's an old trick my Burmese cat used to pull when he knew he was supposed to come inside.  He'd stay just out of reach, stop (even roll around on the grass) but as soon as I was within a certain distance he's move off again.  I had no hope of catching him. 

 

Must be a I'm-better-than-this-human cat game.  They love the attention but the human ends up being led around like a puppet.  If you'd kept it up you could have found yourself down the street, around the corner....and at least several suburbs away!  (And you still wouldn't have got close enough to pat it).