The Hack Driver Questions - Answers | Chapter-8 | Foot Prints

NCERT Solutions Chapter-8 The Hack Driver (Foot Prints)

NCERT Solutions : Read and Find Out 1

Que 1. Why is the lawyer sent to New Mullion? What does he first think about the place?

Answer:

The lawyer was sent to New Mullion for serving the summons on Oliver Lutkins. Oliver Lutkins was needed as a witness in a law case. The lawyer first thinks that the place must be a sweet and a simple country village. However, his expectations shatters when he reaches the actual place.

Que 2. Who befriends lawyer? Where does he take him?

Answer:

When lawyer reaches the station, a hack driver who called himself Bill Magnuson, befriends him. That hack driver tells the lawyer that he knew Lutkins. And he would help him in finding Lutkins. 

Bill takes lawyer to all the places where Lutkins is supposed to hang out. He takes him to Fritz’s shop, where Lutkins played a lot of poker; then he leads to Gustaff’s barber shop and then to Gray’s barber shop; to the poolroom and several other places before finally taking him to Lutkins’ mother’s farm. 

Que 3. What does Bill say about Lutkins?

Answer:

Bill tells the lawyer that Lutkins is a difficult man to find as he always remains busy in some activity or the other. Lutkins owes money to many people, including Bill, and had never paid back anybody. Bill also says that Lutkins played a lot of poker and was good at deceiving people.

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NCERT Solutions Read and Find Out 2

Que 1. What more does Bill say about Lutkins and his family?

Answer:

After telling the lawyer some qualities of Lutkins, Bill tells him even more. Bill tells the lawyer that he knows mother of Lutkins’. He says that she is a horrible woman. He tells that once he took a trunk to her and she almost took his skin off because he did not carry it carefully. He also describes her to be very tall and bulky. She is very quick and can talk a lot. He suggests that Lutkins must be hiding at his mother’s place after knowing that somebody was chasing him.

Que 2. Does the narrator serve the summons that day?

Answer:

No, the narrator was not able serve the summons to Lutkins that day. This happened because he was deceived by Lutkins himself, who told the lawyer that he is Bill Magnuson.

Que 3. Who is Lutkins?

Answer:

When the lawyer arrives at the New Mullion station, he met a hack driver. The hack driver called himself to be Bill Magnuson. However the hack driver himself is Lutkins. He tricks the lawyer to avoid the summons to become a witness in a case.

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NCERT Solutions : Think About It

Que 1. When the lawyer reached New Mullion, did ‘Bill’ know that he was looking for Lutkins ? When do you think ‘Bill’ came up with his plan for fooling the lawyer?

Answer:

When lawyer landed in the New Mullion, ‘Bill’ did not know initially that he was looking for Lutkins. When the lawyer tells him about the summons then he came to know that he was looking for him.

Bill must have made his plan immediately for fooling the lawyer. As now he knew that he was required as a witness but did not want to go there and become one.

Que 2. Lutkins openly takes the lawyer all over the village. How is that no one lets out the secret? (Hint : Notice that the hack driver asks the lawyer to keep out of sight behind him when they go into Fritz’s.) Can you find other such subtle ways in which Lutkins manipulates the tour?

Answer:

When Bill (Lutkins) takes lawyer to different places he never allows him to reach the actual site. Lutkins manipulates lawyer throughout the tour. He makes up the stories about Lutkins’ vagabond and deceitful nature to take the lawyer under his influence.  Also the way he scares him about Lutkins’ mother are some of tricks devised by the hack driver to fool the lawyer. At every place he does not allow the lawyer to ask about Lutkins but he himself pretends to ask about him, which the villagers are knowing is a pretence. So the villagers also join in the whole drama.

Que 3. Why do you think Lutkins neighbours were anxious to meet the lawyer?

Answer:

Lutkins had pretended to be Bill with the lawyer the whole day. But, that day he never finds out that he is being manipulated. Almost the entire village had enjoyed Lutkins making a fool of the lawyer. However, only Lutkins’ neighbours had not seen the lawyer. But they got to know about the events. Thus, they wanted to see the lawyer whom Lutkins had taken for that ride and made him a fool.

Que 4. After his first day’s experience with the hack driver the lawyer thinks of returning to New Mullion to practice law. Do you think he would have reconsidered this idea after his second visit?

Answer:

Yes. After the first day the lawyer had only good image of Bill. However, the second day after knowing how Lutkins had made fool of him,  the lawyer would never return to New Mullion to practice law.

Que 5. Do you think the lawyer was gullible? How could he have avoided being taken for a ride? 

Answer:

Yes, I think the lawyer was gullible. He did not cross-questioned at any time. He believed every word of what Bill said. He should have asked about Lutkins from other villagers. Instead, he depended completely on the hack driver. If he had asked about Lutkins from villager, he would have known that Bill Magnuson himself is Oliver Lutkins. This way he could have found him and avoided being taken for the ride.

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NCERT Solutions : Talk About It

Que 1. Do we come across persons like Lutkins only in fiction or do we encounter them in real life as well? You can give examples from fiction, or narrate an incident that you have read in the newspaper, or an incident from real life.

Answer:

Persons like Lutkins are found in real life as well. They do not just appear in stories. They are very much real. Newspapers are full of reports of such tricksters. There is this famous con man in ‘David Copperfield’ written by Charles Dickens. His name is Uriah Heep. He traps a gullible, rich old man. The old man depends on him entirely. He takes advantage of his trust and takes all his money. He makes the old man an addict to alcohol. Then he forces the old man to marry his daughter to him.

Que 2. Who is a ‘con man’, or a confidence trickster?

Answer:

A ‘con man’ or a confidence trickster is a person who makes a fool out of other people. He wins their trust first and then, he gets from them whatever he wants.