Page 1 - LN3- SUMMARY

The Hack Driver- Summary

The narrator of the story explains that after completing his graduation he started
working with a famous law firm in the city. He was working as an assistant clerk
there. He was not very happy with his job of serving summons because sometimes he
had to face harsh situations while serving them. One day, he got the task of serving
summons to Oliver Lutkins who was a key witness in some case. He lived in a small
town named New Mullion.
The narrator was very excited to visit a small and beautiful town but his excitement
ended by the dull appearance of the town. He saw a hack driver standing at the
platform who was very cheerful and nice. He went up to him and enquired about
Oliver Lutkins as he was new to the town and wanted to find him. The driver told him
that Oliver was a nasty man who owed debt to many people. He also cunningly
extracted information from the lawyer that he needed Lutkins for some court case.

A deal was cracked between both of them. The narrator decided to hire Bill to search
for Lutkins. Bill somehow traps the lawyer in his story and they visit different places
in search of Lutkins. He always asks the lawyer stay behind. They go to Fritz’s to
catch Lutkins while playing poker. But he tells them that he has gone to Gustaff for a
shave. At Gustaff’s they weren’t able to meet him and were told that someone saw
him at the pool room. Here also somebody said that he left the poolroom after buying
cigarettes.

Bill described Lutkins as a cunning man and guessed that he must have gone to Gray’s
for a shave. In the afternoon, Bill offered him to buy lunch from his wife as it would
be less costly than at the restaurant. They had lunch at Wade’s hill which was a very
beautiful place. By that time the clerk was totally impressed by Bill’s nice and cheery
nature. He had even started comparing village people to city people. Later on, they
went to search for Lutkins at his mother’s house on the basis of information derived
from one of his friends.

There the lady was horrible and they hurriedly left the place as she was about to attack
them with a hot iron rod. At last, the lawyer had to leave without serving summons to
Lutkins. Next day he was scolded badly by his chief and was again sent to New
Mullion with a companion who knew Lutkins. Upon reaching the station, the clerk
happily pointed out that Bill was such a helpful person to help him search Lutkins.

At this time, the truth was revealed by his companion that the hack driver was none
other than Lutkins himself. The clerk felt bad and ashamed of how he had been fooled
by a villager.