The Wasp, 1913 · page 84 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 84: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains narrative text rather than a cartoon. It appears to be serialized fiction depicting an action scene in a jungle setting, likely from the late 19th or early 20th century. The scene involves characters named Burnham, a young woman, and a boy named Todd navigating a dangerous jungle path. Burnham is exhausted; the woman supports him while Todd, positioned behind them with a loaded musket, fires at an unseen threat. The passage emphasizes physical struggle, suspense, and gunfire amid tropical foliage. Without additional context about the story's title, publication date, or earlier installments, it's unclear what specific historical event or political issue this fiction satirizes or references. The Wasp typically mixed satirical cartoons with serialized stories. This appears to be adventure fiction rather than direct political satire, though the content or characters may carry contemporary meanings now obscured.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
a Ia A oe THE WASP 81 ce ne oie Se ee Ma NS a “Go on, cap’n,” he gasped. “I got this here weepon loaded an’ primed, an’ I’ll let ’er off at the first feller what heaves in sight!” Burnham nodded and continued his ascent of the jungle-flanked path. He stumbled once, but recov- ered himself with an effort which caused his face to twist with the agony of exhaustion. The young woman wrenched herself suddenly from his arms, put a hand beneath his elbow, and ran, supporting him at her side; but the pace was too brisk for him, in spite of her strong young arm, and he fell heav- ily in the trail and lay gasping. She stood beside him and looked back. She saw the boy Todd, who had halted at a bend in the path, bring the musket to his shoulder. She could not see what he threatened. The thumping report rang out upon the stifling air, and the white smoke drifted slowly and clung in the foliage of the jun- gle. The lad uttered a wild and exultant yell and came running up the path. The young woman heard footsteps behind her and turned to face her father. comichooks.com