The Wasp, 1918 · page 28 of 330
The Wasp — 1918 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page appears to be from a serialized fiction story rather than a political cartoon or satirical piece. It depicts a nautical drama aboard the ship *Lass o' London*. The scene shows tension between two crew members: James Burnham (who has been maintaining a peaceful reputation) and Mr. Boyle, the mate (described as a large, red-cheeked man with an inflated ego). Boyle makes a condescending remark about nearly being killed by someone called "Hellfire Hicks," and Burnham responds with mockery, suggesting Boyle would have died of fright rather than actual danger. Despite being "spoiling for a fight," Burnham restrains himself to avoid damaging his reputation as a peaceful man. Boyle then confronts him in the cabin, escalating the conflict. The content is dramatic fiction with character conflict, not political satire or social commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP meets) the brass gun was pushed forward to its.usual place in the bows. Burnham continued to stand and glower after the schooner until Mr. Boyle, die uate, came to his elbow. _ “We be properly in luck,” he said. “ If _ Hellfire Hicks had sighted us a couple of hours afore he did, we’d be dead men now, every mother’s sonofus!” He was a big man with plump red cheeks and a very fine opinion of himself. “Dead men!” sneered Burnham. “ I suppose you mean you would have died of fright if the schooner had come veda gunshot of He choked down the meaningless rage that had been brewing in him all these peaceful and uneventful days, turned on his heel, and went below to the main cabin. If ever a man was spoiling for a fight it was James Burnham; and yet he did not want to shatter his reputation _ aboard the Lass o’ London as a man of peace at _ this last hour of the voyage. Boyle entered the cabin twenty seconds later. “* Now look ye here, my fine cock, what was _ this ye said about dying of fright ?”? he asked _ in a throaty and truculent whisper. “ Henry comichooks.com