Forgotten SF Short Story with Robots Sniffing Pepper (Solved)

[Bargle]

I read this over 20 years ago. The one bit I remember is this: There's a group of robots with one man mixed in with them. He can't be distinguished from them for some reason. Another man trying to figure out who he is by holding something in his hand and having each of them smell it and tell what it is. The robots each say 'pepper', but the human sneezes, identifying himself.

Cross posted on the "What's the Name of That Book" group.

[Bargle]

This has been solved. It was the short story "The Brain Stealers of Mars" by John W. Campbell Jr.

[Cheryl]

The Brain Stealers of Mars for a link.