The Wasp, 1913 · page 355 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 355: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page appears to be narrative text rather than a cartoon—it's an excerpt from a serialized story about naval combat, likely depicting a historical or semi-historical battle involving British naval officers named James, Burnham, and Benbow against French ships. The passage celebrates individual heroism (Burnham's superhuman strength, Benbow's leadership) while condemning cowardice—specifically criticizing captains who refuse to engage the enemy and desert their commander. The mention of hanging "cowards who had deserted him, their country, and their queen" suggests this reflects period military values emphasizing duty and patriotic sacrifice. Without knowing the publication date or broader context of *The Wasp*, it's unclear whether this is historical fiction, contemporary commentary on military conduct, or something else entirely. The italicized ship names (*Ruby*, *Breda*) suggest actual vessels, but confirmation would require additional research.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
348 THE WASP A couple of French ships were soon within pistol- range again, and James went back to his work with unflagging zest and frightful execution. The murderous hail from his broadside soon sent one of the enemy reeling off to recover her breath; but others closed in. Burnham took the place of one man, of two, of an entire gun’s crew. His strength seemed more than human. His men fell on his right, on his left, against his breast, and at his feet, and he ran red with their blood. Still he drove the survivors to their guns and worked his own. Benbow saw that he was fighting a hopeless fight, for his craven captains still hung inactive on the skirts of the battle. Only the little Ruby was with him, shattered of hull, cluttered with wreck- age, with only her mainmast standing, but still sailing and fighting. So he drew out of the fight, hoping for no more than to get back to port with the Breda and the brig, and to arrange for the hanging of the cowards who had deserted him, their country, and their queen. Comichooks.com