The Wasp, 1918 · page 57 of 330
The Wasp — 1918 — page 57: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains **narrative text only—no visible cartoon or illustration**. It appears to be prose fiction rather than satirical commentary. The excerpt describes characters named James Burnham and Henry Todd aboard a small vessel. Burnham shoots at a torchlight on a nearby brig's rail, apparently to disable or deter pursuit. By dawn, the brig has disappeared, suggesting the shot succeeded in deterring their pursuers. **Without visible images or dates, I cannot identify:** what specific historical event or political figure this story references, who publishes it, or what satirical point it makes. The narrative suggests adventure/escape fiction—possibly related to piracy, smuggling, or naval conflict—but the satirical target remains unclear from text alone. To properly contextualize this, we would need: the magazine's publication date, the story's title, and any accompanying illustrations or editorial framing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A several more strong strokes, Bee ieee on his oars. 2 | “Did you put any sort of firearms aboard eae | he asked. ; | For answer the lad Todd thrust a musket into | his hands and whispered to him that it was | loaded. Burnham obtained the powder-flask | and primed the pan. He drew the oars inboard, _| brought the musket to his shoulder, and fired | deliberately at the core of torchlight on the — brig’s rail. : The light fell, and a scream rang across the — rocking water. Burnham laughed guardedly, | laid the weapon aside, and fell to rowing again. — Ten minutes later he stepped the mast and set | the little sail. a _ When dawn broke James Burnham pehele S| green island lying within a distance of three _ miles to starboard, and more distant islands — like cloudy pearls upon the brightening sea. The brig was nowhere in sight, and for this he | thanked his stars. 3 He awoke Henry Todd, gave him the tiller | for a little while, and employed his brief leisure | in eating ship’s biscuit and drinking stale water. | Refreshed, he took the tiller again and let the | lad eat and“drink. a ~ Comicooks.com