The Wasp, 1913 · page 59 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 59: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This appears to be a **serialized fiction excerpt** rather than a political cartoon. The text depicts a dramatic nighttime scene aboard a ship, with characters named Burnham and Henry Todd attempting a covert operation—likely stealing or sabotaging a boat, given their sneaking movements and the bottle Burnham carries. The passage builds suspense as they navigate past sleeping crew members. Discovery seems imminent when someone wakes and physically confronts Burnham, causing an adrenaline surge described in vivid language ("blood went through Burnham's veins like spurting flame"). Without seeing the magazine's publication date or broader context, the specific satirical or political meaning remains **unclear**. This could be adventure fiction, social commentary, or parody. The page shows no visible illustrations or cartoons—it's purely text, suggesting *The Wasp* published serialized stories alongside its satirical content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
58 THE WASP ing and vanishing of the phosphorescent seas over- side and the red glow of a lamp aft at the binnacle. Clear of the forecastle hatch, Burnham laid his left hand on the lad’s thin shoulder. In his right hand he held a heavy glass bottle by the neck. They moved along slowly, step for step, noiseless in their naked feet, avoiding sleeping men asprawl on the deck underfoot and sleeping men in ham- mocks slung beneath the life-boats overhead. Burn- ham turned his head once and saw the red spark of the lookout’s pipe. They reached the starboard bulwarks and moved cautiously aft until Henry Todd’s groping hand encountered the rope by which the boat was made fast. “Here it is,’ he whispered, with a sob of relief in his voice. : At the same moment some one grunted at their very feet; some one scrambled to his legs, grum- bling heavily, and touched Burnham’s breast with a. fumbling hand. The blood went through Burnham’s veins like spurting flame. He raised his left hand from the f Comichooks.com