One thing, however, puzzled him--a scent new to him that was neither black man's nor white man's.

Had he had the necessary knowledge and the wit of eye-observance, he would have noted that the footprint was smaller than a man's and that the toeprints were different from a Mary's in that they were close together and did not press deeply into the earth.

What bothered him in his smelling was his ignorance of talcum powder.

Pungent it was in his nostrils, but never, since first he had smelled out the footprints of man, had he encountered such a scent.

And with this were combined other and fainter scents that were equally strange to him.
Not long did he interest himself in such mystery.