The Wasp, 1913 · page 259 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 259: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This appears to be a **literary excerpt rather than a political cartoon or satirical illustration**. The page contains prose narrative describing a naval encounter between characters named Alexander Burnham and Scovil following a battle with a French brig. The text describes Scovil's character in detail—a refined, artistic officer who is also a brave fighter—and notes his curious observation of Burnham during their conversation about the battle. The final line's reference to "the pirate" getting them "out of that scrape" suggests either an ironic comment or a plot twist. Without seeing illustrations or knowing the magazine's publication date and larger narrative context, the specific satirical target is unclear. This reads as serialized fiction rather than topical satire, though *The Wasp* was primarily known for political commentary. The page number (254) indicates this is mid-story.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
254 THE WASP ered bulwarks and a patched hull. Her wounded were carried ashore. Her dead had already gone to their deep-sea grave. Her anchors were scarcely down before Alexan- der Burnham came aboard, eager to hear what ad- venture had befallen his ship and his shipmates. He met the commander at the side, all ready to go ashore in the gig and report the engagement to the governor. The two shook hands warmly; then Scovil put a hand under Burnham’s elbow and entered the cabin with him. He led the way to his own. Scovil was Alexander’s senior by a few years— a slender man with a long, thin face and pensive eyes. He was swarthy as a Spaniard, almost fop- pish in his dress, played on more than one musical instrument with sentiment as well as dexterity, and wrote verses. He was a good seaman and a cour- ageous fighter, and had fairly won his promotion. He told his friend the story of the remarkable bat- tle with the French brig, watching the other’s face all the while with a curious, tender glance. “So the pirate got you out of that scrape!” said Comichooks.com