The Wasp, 1913 · page 155 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 155: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This appears to be a literary excerpt rather than a political cartoon—it's descriptive prose depicting a duel between two characters, Burnham and Stanton. The passage emphasizes Burnham's composure and skill against Stanton's more aggressive, physical approach. Key details: Stanton strategically positions himself to throw sunlight in Burnham's eyes, but Burnham remains unaffected, controlling his physiological response. The observers (seconds and Willis) show anxiety about the outcome. The flowery language ("like dancing masters," "slender blades struck and glanced") treats the duel as both martial skill and aesthetic performance. Without knowing the specific publication date or context of *The Wasp* magazine, I cannot identify the real-world figures these characters may represent or what political/social conflict this duel allegorically depicts. The content suggests this may be serialized fiction rather than editorial satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
~ 152 THE WASP bow, and he was forced to recover with a jump. Burnham smiled slightly. And now the fighters began to stamp and side- step, stand poised, advance a little, retire a little, like dancing masters; and the slender blades struck and glanced and writhed the one upon the other, and the silver guards tinkled more than once. The sun came clean out of the sea with a face of colorless fire and struck his white glare fairly into Burnham’s eyes. The heavy but artful Stan- ton had worked around to the position he wanted. Yet Burnham seemed undismayed. He turned a thrust aside with ease and composure. His eyes did not narrow or flinch before the full glare of the sun; at least, the lids did not move, though the pu- pils contracted to pin points. Stanton breathed heavily and struck heavily to beat in the other’s guard. The seconds began to feel the strain upon their nerves. Willis gazed sea- ward, his thin, kindly young face as white as his shirt. | Stanton’s brow, cheeks, and throat glistened with Comichooks.com