But the scouts had to decipher the peculiar imprint of each foot, and then compare it with all the others, in turn.
"I could tell the difference in the shape of a shoe from another," said Harry, "but I do not see how it is possible to tell one foot print from another."
"How do you distinguish people?" asked John.
"Well, usually, by their faces."
"Quite true. Now feet are just as different as faces are. But there are other ways by which we recognize people."
"Yes," was the response. "I can tell who many people are at distances so great that I cannot see their faces."
"How do you do that?"
"By the way they walk, by their size, or by some action that seems to be peculiar to them."
"The observations are correct," answered John. "At the same time, if all the men you knew happened to be in a crowd, and moving around among each other, you would be able to recognize and place each without any difficulty; is not that true!"