The Wasp, 1913 · page 199 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 199: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains narrative fiction rather than a political cartoon. It depicts a violent duel between characters named Bolt and Burnham aboard a ship, with an unnamed woman present. The text describes Bolt's assassination attempt, Burnham's successful counterattack with a rapier, and Bolt's death. The bystanders' dialogue characterizes Bolt as treacherous and references his previous victim, "Jersey Dick." Without additional context about *The Wasp* magazine's publication date or the story's title, I cannot identify whether these are fictional characters, historical figures, or satirical representations of contemporary political/social figures. The nautical setting and pirate-like language ("mates," "captain") suggest either adventure fiction or possibly satirical commentary on maritime/naval matters, but the specific satirical target remains unclear from this page alone.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
194: THE WASP “T care not for a little blood,” she replied calmly. “T have seen much.” Bolt plunged the point of his cutlas af Burnham’s abdomen; but Burnham had been watching him from the corner of one eye and twirled aside in the nick of time. The broad point went through the tongue of Burnham’s leather belt, within an inch of his hip, and pinned him to the bulkhead. Before Bolt could withdraw it Burnham drove the point of his rapier into his assailant’s right side, through and through. Bolt sank with a scream, fell sidewise, and his blood spurted over the woman’s feet and the hem of her silken robe. She had the grace to cringe back against the ship’s side and cover her eyes with her hands. Bolt was dead. The three in the doorway stared at the bulky corpse with astonishment and satisfac- tion depicted on their faces. “He was allus treacherous, was Bolt,” said one. “Mind how he ran his knife into Jersey Dick, mates? But he was strong with the captain.” Comichooks.com