CHAT À LA MODE
Brown, Jones, and Robinson, discovered discussing the stats of the Navy in a first-class compartment.
Brown. My dear fellows, I can assure you we are in a terrible condition of unpreparedness. If France was to declare war to-morrow we should be nowhere—absolutely nowhere!
Jones. You mean, of course, with Russia.
Robinson. Or was it Italy?
Brown. It doesn't matter which. I fancy that France alone could tackle us. Why, a man was telling me the other day that if Gibraltar was seized—as it might be—we should not get a ship-load of wood for months—yes, for months!
Jones. But what has Gibraltar to do with it?
Robinson. Why, of course, it guards our approaches to the Suez Canal.