The Wasp, 1913 · page 185 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 185: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains text from a serialized adventure story, not a political cartoon. The narrative depicts a naval scene aboard a merchant vessel (a "white schooner") where Captain Trimmer and James Burnham anticipate encountering pirates or privateers at sea. The story suggests they've detected suspicious activity—possibly another ship attacking a trader—and the crew prepares for potential combat. Burnham eagerly expresses his willingness to fight, declaring he'd spend his last money for the chance to "draw and have at something." This appears to be pulp fiction or serialized adventure entertainment rather than satire, typical of *The Wasp* magazine's content during its publication period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ned 180 THE WASP An English ship and a French ship might be out there, fastened.in the death grip; but he thought it more likely that some craft of their own kidney had fastened upon a trader. Ships of war, with their heavy metal, would have kept up a discharge of big guns even after they had grappled. The course of the white schooner was altered. She moved through the gloom with steerageway and no more, rolling lazily. She showed no lights. Men gathered in groups in the waist, on the fore- castle deck, on the poop. An hour passed with only one more whisper of the muffled sounds to leeward; and then night’s lid lifted a hair’s breadth in the east. The wind fresh- _ened. Captain Trimmer came to James Burnham’s elbow and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Something was going on, Jim,” he said. “If our luck holds, we'll find pickings of some kind, and maybe a fight. How d’ye feel for a fight?” “I'd give the last of my few guineas for a chance to draw and have at something!” replied Burn- ham. Comichooks.com