The Wasp, 1913 · page 190 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 190: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page appears to be from a serialized adventure narrative rather than a political cartoon. It depicts a naval action sequence between two schooners—the *Wasp* and the *Black Polly*—with detailed descriptions of combat and casualties. The text describes James Burnham in a suspended boat shooting the helmsman of the *Black Polly* at the request of "Trimmer." The scene emphasizes maritime violence: blood, corpses, overturned cannons, and armed men among the dead. Without additional context about the publication date or surrounding narrative, the specific satirical or political meaning remains unclear. This could be adventure fiction, naval satire, or commentary on contemporary maritime events, but the page itself provides only the dramatic action sequence without visible editorial cartoons or clear satirical captions that would indicate *The Wasp*'s intended critique.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP 185 The white schooner hauled abreast of the black schooner. Three of the Wasp’s boats were swung out; and the men who sprang into them while they still hung higher than the bulwarks could see all the tragedy and helplessness of the Black Polly’s listed decks. They saw blood and corpses and two overturned cannon, a living man at the wheel un- der the break of the poop, and three crouching men, armed and alive, among the huddled and prostrate dead. The Black Polly changed her course and moved sluggishly off across the wind. James Burnham, standing upright in one of the suspended boats, could see the sweat agleam on the face and arms of the fellow who wrestled with the Polly's wheel. “Can ye drop me their helmsman, Jim?” asked Trimmer from the poop. Burnham nodded, and extended his hand toward one of his companions in the-swinging boat. A heavy pistol was placed in his fingers. He looked across at the other schooner, raised his arm, and fired. The fellow at the Polly’s wheel slipped to the Comichbooks.com