The Wasp, 1918 · page 156 of 330
The Wasp — 1918 — page 156: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains prose narrative fiction rather than a political cartoon. It appears to be from a serialized adventure story involving a pirate ship or privateer vessel called the "Good Cheer" (or an unnamed schooner). The text describes the crew's composition after leadership changes: James Burnham infiltrating the crew, various officers (Wells, Slim Sam, Trimmer), and crew members with criminal backgrounds from Newgate Prison. The narrative notes the slack discipline and violent deaths among the crew. This seems to be adventure fiction typical of *The Wasp*—a publication that mixed satirical commentary with serialized stories. Without seeing other pages, it's unclear what social or political commentary (if any) the story intends beyond entertainment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP 147 day after James Burnham’s fight with Percy Stanton. Seamen posted in treetops on the surrounding hills kept a sharp and wide look- out. Burnham devoted these days to a close study of the nameless schooner’s company ; and though Trimmer offered him a berth aft, — he chose to sleep in the forecastle and rate him self an able seaman. Discipline was slack. The afterguard, as well as the crew, had changed considerably since the first election of leaders. Men had died violent deaths and new men had been recruited. Dodd, one-time first mate, had died of a cutlass-wound and gone to the fishes. Slim Sam, the ex-pick- pocket, was now second in command. Wells, who had been third mate of the Good Cheer, still acted as sailing-master. This Wells was a quiet man with a high brow and a weak chin. No amount of pistols thrust in his belt could make him look like a pirate. The boatswain and the chief gunner were sailors, not jail-birds—and yet, by their faces and the stories they told, one know them to be ripe for the gallows. : The quartermaster was also a sailor; but about fifty per cent. of the hands represented Newgate and the original company. All told, comichooks.com