The Wasp — 1894 — page 335: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon series depicts what appears to be a comedic narrative about highway robbers consistently foiled in their attempts. The sequential panels show: 1. Bandits confronting travelers beneath a tree 2. Confusion and chaos erupting among the criminals 3. A figure on horseback escaping or triumphing 4. The robbers defeated or bewildered by the roadside The title "Baffled Highwaymen" suggests the joke centers on incompetent criminals repeatedly failing at their robberies. The satirical point likely mocks either actual highwaymen of the period or, more probably, uses them metaphorically to ridicule political or business figures attempting some scheme and repeatedly being thwarted. Without additional context about *The Wasp's* specific targets during its publication date, the exact subject remains unclear, though the humor derives from repeated incompetence and failure.