The Wasp, 1918 · page 140 of 330
The Wasp — 1918 — page 140: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains no political cartoon or satire—it's prose fiction, likely serialized in the magazine. The text describes a character named Burnham who has apparently wounded a military man in a sword fight and now prepares to flee by boat with his companion Todd. The passage suggests adventure fiction or swashbuckling narrative popular in periodicals of the era. Burnham's exultation after violence and his decision to abandon their island refuge ("take the world by the windpipe") indicates he's a rogue or pirate character. The dated language ("cap'n," "yer honour") and nautical setting reinforce this. Without seeing the full story context, the specific political or social satire—if any—remains unclear. This appears to be entertainment fiction rather than satirical commentary, though *The Wasp* was primarily a satirical publication.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP 131 sword, a look of exultation swept his face like a sudden fire. He turned, picked up his hat and cloak, and moved briskly along the beach, but not in the direction which led to the town. He cast a cool and calculating glance at the burnished sea and the clear, glowing sky. He rounded a point and beheld a fishing-boat riding at anchor in a little cove, and the trusty Todd pacing the sand with a cutlass on his hip and a musket on his shoulder. ** All’s ready, sir,” said Todd, his eyes fixed in a fascinated stare upon the naked blade in his master’s right hand. He saw that the sheen of the polished metal was dimmed at the point. *““ Water an’ victuals, bag an’ box, all safe aboard, cap’n. Did yer honour kill the military gentle- man, might I make so bold as to ask?” “He may recover, though I doubt it,” answered Burnham with a grin. ‘“‘ But however that may be, my lad, our sheltered and full-fed days in this tight little isle have come to an end. I was sickening of it, anyhow. We must take the world by the windpipe again and ped a living out of it whether it is willing or no.’ The fight and the spilling of blood had put Burnham in a good humour and Kitty Trimmer out of his mind. He waded out to the boat, comichooks.com