The Hack Driver —by Sinclair Lewis | CBSE Class 10 | NCERT Notes by @Arihant

Chapter Summary

The Narrator’s Job 

The Narrator was a young lawyer who became a Junior Assistant Clerk in a magnificent law firm. He had been assigned the duty to serve summons on witnesses. But he hated his job because he had to go to dirty and shadowy places to serve summons. Also, sometimes he was beaten. Consequently, he thought of going back to his home town where he could have been a real lawyer.

The Narrator went to New Mullion

One day, the narrator was sent to a town named New Mullion to serve summons on Oliver Lutkins who was a witness in a law case. The narrator was very excited to visit a small and beautiful town but his excitement ended by the dull appearance of the town. The streets were full of mud and there were shabby wooden shops all around. The only cheerful thing that the narrator found was a delivery man (hack driver) at the station. He was about forty years old, had a fat body and a red face. His clothes were dirty but he seemed friendly. So, the narrator went to him.

The Narrator Met the Hack Driver

The narrator told the hack driver that he wanted to find Oliver Lutkins. The hack driver told him that he had seen Lutkins about an hour ago and that he was hard to catch. In his opinion, Lutkins was always busy doing one thing or another.

The hack driver told the narrator that Lutkins must be playing poker game in the back of Fritz’s shop. The driver also told the narrator that he drives a carraige and would help him find Lutkins.

The Hack Driver Tells about Oliver Lutkins

The narrator bargained the fare money to two dollars per hour and the search for Lutkins began.

As they left to search for Lutkins, the hack driver told the narrator that Lutkins owed money to a lot of people but he never paid them off. He also told that Lutkins owe him fifty cents on a poker game. The narrator was impressed with hack driver’s friendly nature. He also got confident of finding Lutkins with the help of the hack driver.

Looking for Lutkins

The hack driver introduced himself to the narrator as Bill. At Fritz’s shop, the hack driver asked the lawyer to follow him. He inquired about Oliver Lutkins and got to know that Lutkins had gone to Gustaff’s for a shave. At Gustaff’s, they got to know that Lutkins had spend all his credit and had left the place without getting his shave. So, they went to Gray’s where they got to know that Lutkins had gone to the poolroom.

However, by the time both the hack driver and the lawyer reached the poolroom, Lutkins had already left.

The Narrator Enjoys the Driver’s Company

It was lunch time, so the narrator offered to take Bill to a restaurant. But Bill wanted to go home to his wife for lunch. Bill told the narrator that his wife would pack a lunch for the narrator for half a dollar. So, they had lunch at the Wade’s Hills. The narrator was enjoying the company of the hack driver who was telling him about people of New Mullion. The simplicity and humour of the driver influenced the narrator so much that he planned to settle down in the town.

The Driver and the Narrator Visit Oliver’s Mother

Both the hack driver and the lawyer looked for Lutkins for a long time. Then one of Lutkin’s friends suggested that they should look for Oliver at his mother’s place. So, they both went to Lutkins’ mother’s place. One the journey, the hack driver described Lutkins’ mother as a nine feet tall and four feet thick quick lady.

When they reached Lutkin’s mother’s house and enquired there for Luktins, the mother took a hot iron rod and threatened to burn them. The two escaped to save themselves. However, they searched the house, the stable, the barn, but failed to find Lutkins anywhere.

The Narrator Returns to Town

When the narrator returned to town without serving the summons, his chief got very angry with him. They needed Lutkins as an important witness in their case. He decided to send another man who knew Lutkins with the narrator to the town to bring him.

The Narrator Serves Summons on Lutkins

The narrator and his companion went to the village the next day. They found the hack driver at the station laughing and joking with Lutkin’s mother. The narrator pointed out the driver to his companion and explained how the driver helped him in trying to find Lutkins.

His companion then told the narrotor that the driver was Lutkins himself. The narrator served summons on Lutkins who along with his mother was making fun of the narrator.

Reference – @Arihant