The Wasp — 1914 — page 60: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains narrative text rather than a cartoon—a scene from what appears to be a serialized story aboard a ship. The dialogue involves crew members discussing an unconscious man named Burnham found adrift. The key satirical element emerges in Smith's accusation: he suggests the shipmaster intends to fabricate a pirate identity for Burnham to claim a government reward, then have him executed. Smith cynically notes this is standard practice among pirate crews when they want to eliminate their captains—they plant them "adrift in an open boat" to create cover for their disappearance. The satire targets maritime lawlessness and corruption: the assumption that authority figures (shipmaster, governor) would conspire in fraud and murder for profit reveals deep cynicism about institutional integrity during this period.