lightning-like rapidity of intellect to this vague and
romantic class of fellow-citizens. The ordinary work of a
detective, however, requires neither of these qualities.
Honesty and obedience are his chief requirements, and if he
have intelligence as well, so much the better, provided it be
of the variety known as "horse" sense. A genuine candidate
for the job of Sherlock Holmes would find little competition.
In the first place, the usual work of a detective does not
demand any extraordinary powers of deduction at all.

Leaving out of consideration those who are merely private
policemen (often in uniform), and principally engaged in
patrolling residential streets, preserving order at fairs,
race-tracks, and political meetings, or in breaking strikes
and preventing riots, the largest part of the work for which
detectives are employed is not in the detection of crime and
criminals, but in simply watching people, following them, and
reporting as accurately as possible their movements. These
functions are known in the vernacular as spotting, locating,
and trailing. It requires patience, some powers of
observation, and occasionally a little ingenuity. The real
detective under such circumstances is the man to whom they
hand in their reports. Yet much of the most dramatic and
valuable work that is done involves no acuteness at all, but
simply a willingness to act as a spy and to brave the dangers
of being found out.

There is nothing more thrilling in the pages of modern history
than the story of the man (James McPartland) who uncovered the
conspiracies of the Molly McGuires. But the work of this man