The Wasp — 1914 — page 39: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains dialogue discussing piracy and privateering. The characters debate whether operating as a privateer—attacking ships under letters of marque—is honorable compared to outright piracy. Peter Queery raises concerns about execution ("hanging at the end of it"), while another character argues retirement before capture offers safety. The conversation then shifts to identifying spies and agents working for notorious pirates like Major Deck and Hellfire Hicks. A thin young man mentions an agent who infiltrated the Bermudas as a tutor, then stole "Dame Murdock's pearls and diamonds." The satire appears to mock both piracy and the respectable-seeming operatives who enable it—suggesting these criminals hide behind civilized appearances and official positions.