The Wasp, 1918 · page 307 of 330
The Wasp — 1918 — page 307: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page appears to be a **serialized fictional narrative** rather than a political cartoon. It tells a story about a character named James who arrives in Port Royal (a historical pirate haven) and encounters young Henry Todd, a desperate, impoverished man. James, despite his own reckless, alcoholic behavior, shows unexpected kindness by giving Todd money and companionship during a week-long drinking spree. The narrative takes a dramatic turn when a press-gang (forced military recruitment team) from Admiral Benbow's ship discovers James in a tavern surrounded by drunk hangers-on. The passage emphasizes themes of **vice, desperation, and rough colonial life**. Without seeing illustrations or knowing the larger story context, the exact satirical point remains unclear, though it appears to critique either the brutality of press-gangs, colonial excess, or the parasitic relationships formed in lawless port towns.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
298 THE WASP This houeht often served to drive ae pictures from his mind. Within a day of his landing in the gue town of Port Royal James happened upon young Henry Todd. Poor Todd’s last shilling was gone, for in the slashing life of Port Royal he had found himself to be a pigeon among hawks. He was frightened, bewildered, and hungry, and at sight ~ of James he wept for joy. James cursed Henry Todd roundly, threatened to beat him if he did not cease his blubbering — instantly, then slipped five guineas into his hand and ordered him to buy food and decent clothing. In Port Royal James lived a riotous but dreary week. He cared nothing for the morrow; and yet it did not occur to him that the simplest way to outwit the morning was to drawa knife across his own throat during the night. For seven days _he threw his money to the right and the left, and living and reasoning only from glass to glass, from oath to oath, from moment to moment— and always with the devoted Henry Todd at his elbow. Then a press-gang from Adeial Benbow’s ship are found him in a harbourside dive surrounded by empty bowls and drunken parasites. The para- sites made feeble but noisy resistance to the press: comiebooks com|