The Wasp — 1914 — page 64: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains prose fiction rather than editorial cartoons or satire. It's a dramatic narrative excerpt titled "THE WASP" (page 58) depicting two characters—Burnham and Henry Todd—moving stealthily aboard a ship at night. Burnham carries a glass bottle and has placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. They navigate past sleeping sailors to reach a boat, where Todd locates a rope. The scene builds tension: someone suddenly stirs beneath them, groping and touching Burnham's chest. Burnham's violent reaction—blood surging "like spurting flame"—suggests an impending confrontation or crime. Without additional context pages, the specific satirical target remains unclear, though the nautical setting and clandestine action suggest this may be social commentary on maritime labor or criminal activity of the era.