The Wasp, 1913 · page 282 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 282: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page appears to be from a serialized pirate story rather than political satire. The text depicts dialogue between characters named James, Tom Croft, and Todd—seemingly pirates discussing hidden treasure near Bottle Harbor. The narrative involves a recovered cache of pirate plunder (gold, jewelry, silver) worth "a dozen comfortable fortunes," stored in sail-cloth bags within oak chests. James references "meditating on my sins" and plotting to meet someone named John Trimmer, suggesting a coming confrontation or betrayal plot. Tom Croft's dialogue uses period-authentic nautical dialect ("Ye done him a good turn," "blood bes thicker nor water"), typical of adventure fiction from this era. The passage emphasizes the "thickness of blood" as brotherhood among pirates—ironic given James's apparent plans against Trimmer. This reads as serialized adventure fiction rather than political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP 217 cross suspended from his thick, blood-stained neck and gleaming on his hairy chest. “Ye done him a good turn, cap’n, when ye saved him an’ his sloop from the French brig. Yerself an’ him be brothers; | an’ blood bes thicker nor water!” James laughed dryly. “Rip me if I don’t believe ye’re a sentimentalist, Tom Croft,” he said. “But, however that may be, you should know all about the thickness of blood.” “Where’ve ye been ever since, sir?” asked Todd. “T’ve been lying in the bush,” replied James, “meditating on my sins and on the instability of human life and fortune, and trying to plan some way of coming speedily to a meeting with John Trimmer.” Such of the pirates’ plunder as had been hidden near Bottle Harbor was found undisturbed in its hole in the ground. This deposit was a veritable treasure—gold and jewelry and silver to the value of a dozen comfortable fortunes. It was tied up in small sacks of stout sail-cloth, and these bags were stowed away in strong oaken chests. “We'll shift this,” said James. “Trimmer may Comichooks.com