The Wasp — 1914 — page 91: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page depicts a confrontation between **Burnham** (a man with bruised feet) and **Captain Nash**, apparently a governor or authority figure. Burnham addresses Nash respectfully while **Henry Todd** cowers behind him. Burnham claims he "escaped from the New England brig last night" with "this lad" and preemptively asks for fair hearing against charges the "unsavory fellows" will make against him. The satire appears to target Burnham as a sanctimonious or hypocritical figure—the opening quote mocks "Master Smith" arriving "in the van" (in front), suggesting pretension or self-importance. Without additional context about which historical Burnham or New England incident this references, the exact political/social critique remains unclear, though it involves authority confrontation and escape narrative.