Summary of The Hack Driver Class 10 Footprints without Feet

Answer

After passing graduation the narrator became a junior assistant clerk in a law firm. His duty was to serve summons to the people regarding the court cases. He had to visit the dirty corners of the city. He hated this unpleasant work.
Once he was asked to go to New Mullion to serve summons to Oliver Lutkins. It was forty miles away from that place. He reached there by train. He hired a hack at the rate of two dollars per hour. The narrator told the hack driver that he wanted to see Oliver Lutkins.
The hack driver himself was the same person whom the narrator was looking for but he did not recognise him. The hack driver told him that his name was Bill or Magnuson and everybody called him Bill. He told the narrator that Lutkins would be playing poker, a game in the back of Fritz’s shop. They went there but could not find Lutkins there. Then they went to Gustaf’s shop. Fritz had told them that Lutkins had gone there for a shave. When they arrived there, they were informed that Lutkins had not come there.
Later they went to Gray’s shop who told them that Lutkins had just gone away five minutes ago to the poolroom. They reached the poolroom. There they were told that Lutkins had come there but he had just bought a packet of cigarettes and gone away. It was I p.m. by then. They were feeling hungry. Bill suggested the narrator that they should enjoy their lunch on Wade’s Hill. Bill got lunch packed from his wife and they enjoyed it on the hilltop.
While sitting on the hilltop Bill talked about his town’s people in detail. He talked about the minister’s wife, the college students and the lawyer’s wife. The narrator came to know better about the town. Then they got down from the hilltop.
Bill told the narrator that Lutkins would have gone to his mother’s farmhouse three kilometers away in the north. He said that his mother was a terror. He narrated him his experience with Lutkins mother. They reached there and inquired Lutkins’ mother about his whereabouts. She ran after them with an iron rod in her hand. But anyhow they could manage to examine the whole house but could not find him there.
It was nearly time for the narrator to catch the afternoon train, and Bill drove him to the station. On the way to the city, the narrator was worried very little over his failure to find Lutkins. He was busy thinking about Bill Magnuson. He was considering returning to New Mullion to practice law.
When the narrator told the owner of the firm that he could not trace out Lutkins, he got very angry. They were badly in need of Lutkins the next morning. He asked the narrator to return back to New Mullion immediately. He sent another person with the narrator who recognised Lutkins. When they arrived at New Mullion station, Bill was standing at the station near his carriage. The author recognised him as Bill Magnuson but the other man said that it was Oliver Lutkins in reality. The narrator was very much surprised. He served his summons.

Answer

• The narrator was a junior assistant clerk in a law firm.
• He was usually sent to serve the summons.
• He hated his unpleasant work because, sometimes, he was beaten up by some of his victims.
• He was very happy when the firm sent him out forty miles in the country.
• He was to serve a summons on a man, Oliver Lutkins, in a town called New Mullion.
• He was disappointed to see the narrow, muddy streets and wooden shops of New Mullion.
• The only man he liked in Mulligan was a delivery man who called himself Bill.
• Bill, the hack (cab) driver was about forty, red-faced and cheerful man.
• The lawyer (the narrator) told Bill that he came there to serve a summons on a man called Oliver Lutkins. He was a witness in a legal case.
• Bill told that he saw Oliver Lutkins only an hour ago around there.
• The narrator hired Bill’s hack at two dollars an hour.
• Bill told him that they could find Oliver at Fritz’s place and suggested him to remain behind him.
• Bill told the lawyer that Oliver Lutkins was good at deceiving people and played a lot of pokers.
• Fritz informed them that Lutkins was present there a little while ago. Perhaps, he had gone to Gustaf’s barbershop for a shave.
• Gustaff said angrily that he had not seen Oliver Lutkins.
• Then, they went to Gray’s barbershop and there they were told that Oliver Lutkins was there only five minutes ago.
• They again started hunting and searching for Lutkins and now Bill suggested going to Oliver Lutkins’ mother’s farm.
• When asked about Oliver Lutkins, his mother shouted that she didn’t know anything about him.
• Bill persisted that Lutkins was immediately wanted as a witness in a legal case. He pressed for making a search of the house.
• Oliver Lutkins’ mother seized an iron rod from the stove and threatened to burn them if they dared to make a search there.
• The lawyer (the narrator) was highly disappointed as he couldn’t find even a trace of Oliver Lutkins.
• When he came back to his office, the boss rebuked him for his failure.
• He ordered the narrator to go back to New Mullion. He sent with him a man who recognised Oliver Lutkins as he had worked with him.
• When they reached New Mullion, he found Bill standing at the platform near his hack.
• Bill and Oliver Lutkins’ terrible mother stood together talking and laughing freely.
• The narrator introduced Bill, the hack driver, to his companion. He told how he had helped him in searching Oliver Lutkins.
• The narrator’s companion was surprised. He told him that the man was not Bill but Oliver Lutkins himself.
• When the narrator served summons, Lutkins and his mother laughed at him as if he were a boy of seven.
• They begged the narrator to go with them to a neighbor’s house for a cup of coffee.
• Oliver Lutkins told the narrator that his neighbors were eager to meet such a (foolish) man.
• They were the only persons in the town who missed seeing him the previous day.

Answer

Oliver Lutkins: Oliver Lutkins is a crook who lives in the country town of New Mullion. Though he lives in a small town, he easily cheats the lawyer who comes to serve a summons on him. He pretends to be Bill Magnuson, the hack driver and manages to cheat the narrator of his money. He manages to convey the lawyer that it is very difficult to trace Lutkins. He takes the lawyer to many shops but does not allow the lawyer to directly talk with the people. Over a few hours, Bill takes the narrator all over the town where they keep missing Lutkins by small periods of time. He is also a friendly person. When the lawyer comes to New Multi on a second time, Lutkins invites the lawyer for a cup of coffee in his friend’s house. Bill painted Lutkins as a dishonest person. He owed money to a lot of people. He had a talent for dishonesty. Though he lived in a rural town, he managed to trick and mislead a lawyer belonging to the city.

The Narrator: The narrator is a lawyer who hates city life. He thinks of pursuing a career in a small town. He goes to New Mullion to serve a summons on Oliver Lutkins. We find him gullible, and he is easily misled by Lutkins himself, who poses as the hack driver, Bill. Bill takes money from the lawyer and gives misleading information about Lutkins. He visits a number of places in New Mullion with Bill but is not able to meet Lutkins. Since he visited new Mullion for an important matter, he failed to be careful in carrying out his job. The narrator appears to be a novice and not a seasoned legal mind. He had a romantic view of country (rural) life but was easily conned by crooks in New Mullion.

Answer

स्नातक की उपाधि की परीक्षा पास करने के पश्चात लेखक एक कानून की फर्म में कनिष्ठ सहायक लिपिक बन गया | उसका काम लोगों को अदालती मुकदमों के संबंध में अदालती आदेश तामील कराना था | उसे शहर के गंदे क्षेत्रों में जाना पड़ता था | वह इस असुखद कार्य से घृणा करता था |
एक बार उसे ओलिवर लुटकिन्स नामक एक आदमी को अदालती आदेश तामील करवाने के लिए न्यू मुलियन जाने को कहा गया | यह स्थान वहाँ से चालीस मील दूर था | वह वहाँ गाड़ी से पहुँचा | उसने दो डॉलर प्रति घंटे के हिसाब से एक तांगा किराए पर ले लिया | लेखक ने गाड़ीवान को बताया कि वह ओलिवर लुटकिन्स से मिलना चाहता है | गाड़ीवान स्वयं वही व्यक्ति था जिसे लेखक ढूँढ रहा था, लेकिन वह उसे नहीं पहचानता था |

गाड़ीवान में उसे बताया कि उसका नाम बिल और मैग्नुसन है और सभी उसे बिल के नाम से पुकारते हैं | उसने उसे बताया कि लुटकिन्स फ्रिट्ज की दुकान के पिछवाड़े में पोकर का खेल खेल रहा होगा | वे वहाँ गए परंतु वह उन्हें वहाँ नहीं मिला | तब वे ग़ुस्टॉफ की दुकान पर गए | फ्रिट्ज ने उन्हें बताया था कि लुट किन्स वहाँ दाढ़ी बनवाने गया है | जब वे वहाँ पहुँचे तो उन्हें बताया गया कि लुटकिन्स वहाँ नहीं आया था |

बाद में वे ग्रे की दुकान पर गए, जिसने उन्हें बताया कि लुटकिन्स सिर्फ पाँच मिनट पहले ही जुआ घर गया था | वे जुआघर पहुँचे | वहाँ उन्हें बताया गया कि लुटकिन्स वहाँ आया तो था लेकिन उसने सिर्फ एक पैकेट सिगरेट खरीदा और चला गया | तब तक दोपहर बाद का एक बज चुका था उसे भूख लग गई थी | बिल ने लेखक को सुझाव दिया कि उन्हें अपने दोपहर के खाने का आनंद बाड़े की पहाड़ी पर लेना चाहिए | बिल ने अपनी पत्नी से दोपहर का भोजन पैक करवाया और उन्होंने पहाड़ी की चोटी पर उसका आनंद लिया |
पहाड़ी की चोटी पर बैठे हुए बेल ने अपने शहर के लोगों के बारे में विस्तार से बातें की | उसने मंत्री की पत्नी, कॉलेज के विद्यार्थियों और वकील की पत्नी के बारे में बातें कीं | लेखक को कस्बे के बारे में अधिक जानकारी प्राप्त हो गई | तब वे पहाड़ी की चोटी से नीचे उतर आए |
बिल ने लेखक को बताया की लुटकिन्स उत्तर दिशा में तीन किलोमीटर दूर स्थित अपनी माँ के फार्म हाउस पर चला गया होगा | उसने कहा कि उसकी माँ एक आतंक है | उसने लुटकिन्स की माँ के साथ अपने अनुभव को उसे सुनाया | वे वहाँ पहुँचे और लुटकिन्स की माँ से उसके बारे में जानकारी माँगी | वह अपने हाथ में लोहे की एक छड़ लेकर उनके पीछे भागी | लेकिन जैसे-तैसे उन्होंने घर का निरीक्षण कर लिया और उन्हें वह कहीं भी नहीं मिला |
लेखक का दोपहर बाद वाली गाड़ी पकड़ने का समय हो गया था और बिल उसे स्टेशन तक ले आया | शहर की ओर लौटते समय रास्ते में वह लुटकिंस को ढूँढ पाने में अपनी असफलता के बारे में बहुत कम चिंतित था वह बिल मैग्नुसन के बारे में सोचने में बहुत व्यस्त था | वह न्यू मिलियन में लौटकर वकालत करने के बारे में विचार कर रहा था |

जब लेखक ने फर्म के मालिक को बताया कि वह लुटकिन्स को नहीं ढूँढ पाया है तो वह बहुत क्रोधित हो गया | उन्हें अगली सुबह लुटकिन्स हर हालत में चाहिए था | मालिक ने लेखक को तुरंत न्यू मुलियन लौट जाने को कहा | उसने लेखक के साथ एक अन्य व्यक्ति को भेजा जो लुटकिन्स को पहचानता था | जब वे न्यू मिलियन पहुँचे तो उन्होंने बिल को अपने वाहन के पास खड़े हुए देखा | लेखक ने उसकी पहचान बिल मैग्नुसन के रूप में की, जबकि दूसरे आदमी ने कहा कि वह वास्तव में ओलिवर लुटकिन्स है | लेखक बहुत अधिक हैरान था | उसने उससे आदेश तामील करवा दिए |