The Wasp, 1913 · page 86 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 86: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This appears to be a narrative passage from a serialized story rather than a political cartoon. The text depicts a dramatic confrontation scene where Burnham—apparently having escaped from a ship called "the New England brig"—encounters Captain Nash (seemingly a governor or authority figure) and appeals for fair hearing before "Master Smith" and his party can lodge accusations against him. The satire targets religious hypocrisy, suggested by the sarcastic description of Smith as "sanctimonious." Burnham preemptively frames himself as a benefactor to the governor's daughter to gain sympathy before accusations emerge. Without seeing the accompanying illustration clearly, the specific political or social references remain unclear. The New England setting and maritime escape plot suggest 19th-century American origins, but the precise historical context or satirical target cannot be determined from text alone.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP 83 Ha! here they come—and the sanctimonious Mas- ter Smith in the van, as I live!’ Burnham got to his bruised feet and bowed to Captain Nash just as Smith and his party came into sight around a kink in the trail. Henry Todd slunk behind Burnham and crouched there trembling. “T have had the honor of doing your daughter a slight service, sir, and in return I must ask you to hear me fairly in reply to the charges which these unsavory fellows will presently make against me. This lad and I escaped from the New England brig last night,” said Burnham in a labored voice. The governor nodded and looked him over with hard eyes. Comichooks.com