The Wasp, 1918 · page 34 of 330
The Wasp — 1918 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains **fictional narrative text**, not a political cartoon. It appears to be from a serialized story in *The Wasp* magazine (page 25). The text describes **James Burnham**, a character spending time in Kingston engaging in gambling and disreputable company. The narrative emphasizes his dangerous temperament—his "white rage" and intimidating pale eyes that terrify his companions when he suspects cheating. The opening passage recounts a pirate named the "tutor" (apparently educated as clergy but turned to piracy), establishing a theme of respectable origins corrupted into criminality. The story seems to satirize or dramatize **moral degradation**—how genteel backgrounds can mask violent, dangerous natures. Without additional context about the story's publication date or author, the specific social critique remains unclear, though the emphasis on Burnham's capacity for sudden violence suggests commentary on hidden depravity among ostensibly civilized individuals.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP 25 among the Bahamas, three months later, by the sloop-of-war Fox, there was the tutor on the . brig’s poop, his sash full of pistols and a cutlass in his hand, the most desperate pirate of them all: He despatched five men with his own hand -before he was cut down. A notorious pirate he was, and Blue’s trusty—but he’d been born the son of a bishop and educated for holy orders.” James Burnham spent a noah in ago all the time in questionable society. His luck was good, and he paid his way with his winnings at dice and cards. Only on two occasions did any of his companions attempt to cheat him at play. On both occasions he proved himself a dangerous person to trifle with. His - white rage struck terror to the hearts of the most daring ‘of the company ; and during the rest of his stay in Kingston a tremor of apprehension went through the nerves of his companions whenever © “his pale eyes hardened and began to glint cross- wise, as-if he were trying to examine the tip of his own nose. At the end of the month Peter Queery suggested _ to James that they were both wasting their time _in Kingston. = Come home with nee he said ; aa he told * eomicbooks.com