The Wasp, 1913 · page 169 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 169: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page appears to be prose fiction rather than a political cartoon—it's a narrative excerpt from a serialized story in *The Wasp* magazine. The text describes an encounter between James Burnham (in a fishing boat) and John Trimmer (commanding an armed long-boat with eleven men). The scene depicts Trimmer, identified as "the highwayman, the breeches maker's son," approaching Burnham on water. Their recognition is mutual but tense—Burnham maintains a wooden composure despite apparent inner calculation while observing Trimmer's armed company. Without seeing the full serial or magazine context, the specific satirical target remains unclear. However, *The Wasp* typically lampooned contemporary political figures and social scandals. The reference to a "breeches maker's son" becoming a highwayman suggests class commentary, though which historical or political figure this represents—if any—cannot be determined from this excerpt alone.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
164 THE WASP The boat with the four oars swung and ap- proached. The man with the musket in the crook of his left arm shouted to Todd to lower the sail. ’ “Lower away,” ordered Burnham. The other craft was a ship’s long-boat. She con- tained eleven men, including the four at the oars, and the sunshine struck upon polished metal aboard her in many points of fire. She drew swiftly down upon the fishing boat. The features of the man with the musket grew clear to the gaze of the fugi- tives. James Burnham uttered an astonished oath. “°Tis John Trimmer!’ he exclaimed. ‘John Trimmer of Wantage, as I live! The highwayman, the breeches maker’s son, Kitty’s brother!” The man with the musket bowed and flourished his hat. He grinned. “Welcome to the narrow seas, Master James Burnham!” he cried. Burnham got to his feet and returned the saluta- tion.in silence. His face showed no more emotion than a.wooden mask; but his keen eyes flickered over Trimmer and his company, and his mind Comicnooks.com