THE HACK DRIVER
1. What
does the young
lawyer say about
his life during
the training period
? Why was he
sent to New
Mullion ? What
does he first
think about the
place ? [ HSLC – 2017 ]
Ans : The
young lawyer had graduated
with honours .
Then he became
a junior assistant
clerk in a magnificent
law firm .
He was not sent to
prepare legal briefs
, but to serve
summons . His
duty was like
that of a private detective’s
. He had to go
to the bad
areas of the
city seeking his
victims . Sometimes he
was even beaten
up . He
heated that sort
of work and
the side of
city life revealed
to him . Being timed with such life
he even thought of
feeling to his
home town where he could
have been a
real lawyer without
training .
One day
he was sent
to New Mullion
to serve a
summon on a man Oliver Lutkins
, who was
needs as a witness
in a law case .
Before coming to
New Mullion the young
lawyer had expected
it to be an
ideal place . But
on reaching there
he felt disappointed
. Its roads
were rivers of mud
. The shops
were wooden .
Some of them
were pointed in
odd colours and
some had no coat of
paint . The
only agreeable person
was the delivery
man with dirty
colours .
2. Give
a brief description of the first
meeting between the
young lawyer and bill ?
Ans : The
young lawyer met Bill at
the station . He c
was about forty
, red faced
, cheerful , and of
friendly manner .
It seemed at the
first sight that he
liked people . The
lawyer came to
him and said
he wanted to
meet a man named
Oliver Lutkins. Bill
replied that he
had seen Oliver
Lutkins about an hour
ago . he
added that he
was a hard
fellow to catch
. The lawyer told
that he wanted to
catch the afternoon
train to city
. Bill then
told him that
he had a
hack which he
wanted to bring
so as to
track down Oliver
Lutknins . The hack
was brought and
the fare was
fixed at two dollars
per hour .
In the mean
time Bill was
able to win
confidence of the lawyer
as a really
helpful person. Bill also
said something about
Oliver Lutkins manner
. The lawyer told
Bill that he wanted
Lutkins to serve
a summon on him .
Then they started
their ride in
search Lutkins . [ HSLC – 2016]
3. What
did Bill tell
the young lawyer about
Oliver Lutkins before they
starte4d to find
him out ?
Ans : When the young lawyer
told Bill that
he wanted to
find out a man named
Oliver Lutkins , Bill pretended
to know him .
He said that he had
seen Lutkins in
that place about
an hour ago .
He went on
telling that Lutkins was
a hard fellow
to catch - always
up to something or
the other . Bill
added that Lutkins
might be busy
to start up
a poker game
in the back
of Fritz’s shop . Bill
then learnt that
the lawyer would
have to catch
the afternoon train to
the city . So
he proposed to bring
and really brought his
hack so as
to go round
the town searching
Lutkins . Then
Bill said that Lutkins
never paid a cent to
any body . He
claimed that he
still owed him fifty
cents on a poker game
. Bill added that Lutkins
was not really
bad . But it was hard
to make him
part with his money .
Then bill propsed to go
to Fritz’s where he
would ask for Lutkins but he
told the lawyer
to keep his face
hidden behind him. He
wanted to give
Lutkins a little
surprise . Then they
started to Fritz’s
shop .
4. Give
a description of
the journey made
by Bill and the young
lawyer from the
Fritz’s to Gray’s barber
shop ?
Describe Bill and the
lawyer’s search fort Oliver Lutkins till
it was lunch
time .
Ans : As decided
mutually Bill drove his
hack to the Fritz’s
shop on the
way he was
heard telling about
Lutkins talent for dishonesty
. On reaching Fritz noticed
the young lawyer
hiding behind Bill
and hesitated a bit
. Then he replied
that Oliver was
there about an
hour ago . He
added v that he might have gone
to Gustaff’s barbar shop
to get a shave .
From the Bill drove
to Gustaff’s barber
shop . There Bill asked the
shopkeeper and the
two customers as
well if they had seen Lutkins . The
shopkeeper told Bill
to collect that
thirty five dollars from Lutkins
that he owed
him . One of
the customers said that
he had seen
Lutkins walking down
the main street
. Bill then
told the lawyer
that since Lutkin’s
had exhausted his
credit at Gustaaff’s
he might have
gone to Gray’s
barber shop for a
shave . At
Gray’s they missed
Lutkin’s by only
five minutes .
So they decided
to pursue him .
The lawyer so
much enjoyed the simplicity
of Bill and his
neighbours that he
would not bother
much whether Lutkins
was found or
not . By then
it was time
for lunch .
They decided to
take their lunch
at wade’s Hill where
they would bat and
enjoy the natural
beauty of the
place .
5. What
did Bill say about
Oliver’s mother ?
Briefly describe the
lawyer’s experience when
he was led
there in search of Lutkin’s ?
Ans : Bill
told the young
lawyer that Oliver’s
mother was a real terror
. He recounted his
experience with her
how she was
about to take
his skin off for not properly
handling a trunk
he had carried there .
As they drove
into a poor farmyard
they faced an enormous
and cheerful old
woman . Leaving
the young lawyer
, Bill talked to
her giving his identity as Bill Magnuson
, the carter
and hackman .
Then he said
that he wanted
to meet her
son . The old
woman who was
about nine feet
tall and four
feet thick replied
that she did
not know anything about Oliver
Lutkins , nor
did she want
to know about
him . Then Bill
said that the young
lawyer represented the
court and had
legal right to
search all properties
for Oliver Lutkins
. The woman was
impressed . She
then went to
the kitchen and
they followed .
She took an
iron rod from
an old fashioned
stove and marched
on them shouting that she would
burn them . She laughed at their frightened retreat . Bill whispered to the
lawyer saying that
she would murder
them and so
they should leave
the place .
6. Who ,
between Bill and
the young lawyer
, is more intelligent
and more practical
?
Ans : Bill
who is Oliver
Lutkins himself is definitely
more
intelligent that the
gullible lawyer . As
soon as
Bill learnt that the
lawyer had come to
New Mullion to serve a summon
on Oliver Lutkins, he decided disguise as a hack driver
and offered to
help the lawyer find
out Lutkins .
Bill behaved in
such a way
that the lawyer
was all praise
of him .
The lawyer was
pleased with not
only Bill ,
but also with
the people of New
Mullion whom he
thought to be very
plain and simple people
. Bill led the
lawyer to Fritz’s
shop , to
Gustaff’s and Gray’s barber
shops and even
to Lutkin’s mother
in his farmhouse . They are
together and moved through
the town together.
Yet the lawyer
failed to recognize him .
It was
one of the
following morning when
the lawyer accompanied by one
of Lutkin’s former
coworker went to New Mullion
, Bill could
be identified as
more but Lutkin’s
himself . The activities
of Bill , Specially
how he duped
the lawyer prove
him a more intelligent
person
and a practical
man .
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