The Wasp, 1913 · page 295 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 295: 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 dramatic maritime plot involving characters named James Burnham, Trimmer, and Captain Smith. The passage describes a planned violent mutiny: Burnham intends to incite a demonstration against "Trimmer's treachery" aboard a white schooner, and if that fails, he plans to throw bombs and grenades from a brig called the *Virtue* onto the schooner's deck, then lead ten followers in an assault during the chaos. Captain Smith examines the shabby brig through a telescope, seeing only an ordinary French trading-schooner with minimal crew and supplies (chickens, rum casks). Without seeing illustrations or additional context, the satirical intent remains unclear, though the narrative suggests commentary on maritime treachery, mob violence, or possibly 19th-century naval conflicts. The specific historical or political references are not evident from this text alone.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
290 THE WASP Then, even while the boarders were coming up the brig’s side, he would declare himself and pro- claim Trimmer’s treachery. Should this fail to ex- cite a demonstration on his behalf aboard the white schooner, and he vowed that it would not fail ut- terly, then the hidden bombs and grenades would be thrown over the brig’s rail upon the schooner’s deck, and in the ensuing confusion and consterna- tion he would follow the explosives with the heroic ten and the New England recruits at his back. Perhaps James Burnham’s reasoning powers car- ried his argument; but it is more likely that his reputation for courage and success, assisted by a craving for bloodshed in every one of those dread hearts, brought his ten followers to his view. The brig Virtue was a slow sailor, blunt of build and foul of bottom. Captain Smith examined the shabby little fore-and-after through his glass and felt no premonition of disaster. An ordinary French inter island trading-schooner was all he saw, with three ragged fellows on her narrow deck, a chicken- coop: lashed at the foot of the mainmast, half a dozen rum casks lashed in her scuppers, and a peace- Comichooks.com