The Wasp, 1913 · page 89 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 89: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page appears to be from a serialized narrative rather than a political cartoon. It depicts a dramatic confrontation between James Burnham (likely a protagonist) and a "shipmaster" from a brig, with a governor intervening to save Burnham from armed sailors. The passage satirizes Captain Nash's authority: he wins not through combat prowess but through his official rank, which demoralized the opposition. The governor's "red face" may suggest embarrassment or anger at the disorder. Without seeing the accompanying illustration or knowing the publication date, it's unclear what specific historical event or political figure this references. The presence of a governor, naval vessel, and conflict suggests colonial-era American setting, but the exact satirical target—whether corrupt officials, maritime law, or class conflict—remains ambiguous from text alone.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
86 THE WASP with his right hand, and carried them both to the ground. He clung to the man’s throat. The girl rolled clear, scrambled to her feet, and darted back to her father. The governor and his servants bestirred them- selves just in the nick of time to save Burnham from the knives and clubbed muskets of the men from the brig. As it was, Burnham received a glancing slash on the shoulder which dyed his rag- ged shirt as red as the governor’s face, but which failed to cause him to relax his grip on his enemy’s windpipe. The battle was brisk but brief. Captain Nash fought thunderously with his voice and his clubbed pistols; but it was owing to his official authority rather than to his physical prowess that the New Englanders lost heart so soon. Two of the brig’s men turned tail and ran, and the others were over- powered and disarmed. Two of the governor’s servants detached James Burnham from the limp and livid shipmaster. Comichooks.com