The Wasp, 1918 · page 65 of 330
The Wasp — 1918 — page 65: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains **serialized fiction** rather than a political cartoon. It's a narrative excerpt about a fugitive male character stranded on an island with a young girl (unconscious or asleep) and a boy named Todd. The plot involves: the protagonist escaping from a British ship called the *Virtue* after violent confrontation; his fear of encountering "Captain Smith," who apparently intended to sell him into slavery or as a pirate; and his dilemma about contacting authorities without risking capture. The passage suggests a melodramatic adventure story, likely serialized across multiple *Wasp* issues. The protagonist views the girl as leverage—"the card with which it must be won"—indicating a plot device rather than a satirical commentary. Without additional context or visible cartoons, **the satirical or humorous intent of this particular page is unclear**. It may be part of a larger satirical narrative, but the excerpt alone reads as conventional adventure fiction.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
50° _. THE WASP England brig from which he had wade such a violent escape. = ‘To bring himself in touch with the governor = would mean to come in-touch with the chief port of the island, and this would mean, past a doubt, the risk of an encounter with Captain Smith. It was in this island that Smith had planned to sell him, either as a pirate or a slave. = How was the truth of his story of robbery. and misfortune to be proved to the authorities ? The violence of his escape from the brig Vurtue would tell against him, he supposed. He had brained one man with a bottle and shot another ‘* But it has to be risked,’ he murmured, glancing down at the girl with a calculating eye. “The game’s yet to be played, and here in my hand is the card with which it must be won!” — The girl’s head, with its loc mass oF bright brown hair, was against his left shoulder. He gazed into her pale face with inscrutable eyes. Her eyes were closed. He glanced at the slum- . bering Todd, then put out his foot and roueh prodded the lad in the ribs. * Fetch the rest of the water from the boat, & he ordered. Todd awoke with a start, sprang to his feet, = Sdaiuotee OI