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| The Hack Driver |
Assam Board Class 10 English Supplementary Reader Question Answer HSLC
The Hack Driver
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q. 1. What does the young lawyer say about his life during the train ing period? Why was he sent to New Mullion? What does he first think about the place?
Ans. The young lawyer had graduated with honours. Then he be came 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 hated that sort of work and the side of city life revealed to him. Being timed with such life he even thought of fleeing 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 needed 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.
Q. 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 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 that 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 Bill that he wanted to catch the afternoon train to the city. Bill then told him that he had a hack which he wanted to bring so as to track down Oliver Lutkins. 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 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 of Lutkins.
Q.3. What did Bill tell the young lawyer about Oliver Lutkins be fore they started to find him out?
Ans. When the young lawyer told Bill that he wanted to find out.. 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 realy brought his hack so as to go round the town searching Lutkins. Then Bill said that Lutkins never paid a sent to anybody. He claimed that he still owed him fifty cents on a paker game. Bill added that Lutkins was not realy bad. But it was hard to make him part with his money. Then bill pro posed to go to Fritz's where he would ask for Litkins 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.
Q. 4. Give a description of the journey made by Bill and the young lawyer from the Fritz's to Gray's barbar shop.
Or,
Describe Bill and the lawyer's search for 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's Bill asked if Fritz had seen Oliver Lutkins that day. Fritz noticed the young lawyer hiding behind Bill and hesitated a bit. Then he replied, that Oliver was there about on hour ago. He added that he might have gone to Gustaff's barber 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 Lutkins had exhausted his credit at Gustaff's he might have gone to Gray's barber shop for ashave. At Gray's they missed Lutkins by only five minutes. So they decided to persue 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.
Q.5. What did Bill say about Oliver's mother? Briefly describe the lawyer's experience when he was led there in search of Lutkins.
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 giv ing 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.
Q. 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 to 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 ate together and moved through the town together. Yet the lawyer failed to recognise him. It was on 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 Lutkins 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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