The Wasp — 1914 — page 53: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a narrative text page (not a cartoon) from the serialized story "The Wasp." It depicts a scene aboard a ship where a character named James Burnham claims to be an agent or correspondent of someone named "Mr. Angus McLatchy." Smith, apparently an authority figure, expresses skepticism about Burnham's credentials, suggesting a mark or tattoo on Burnham's shoulder won't convince strangers of his legitimacy. Burnham is subsequently treated as an outsider—idling on deck, eating with the cook rather than in the cabin, and drinking from the common water barrel. The passage illustrates Burnham's ambiguous status aboard ship: claimed connections mean little without documentary proof to skeptical observers.