On this occasion, however, the _Belligerent's_ guns were possessed of a devil. She did very well, it is true, and came out second in the squadron, but was just beaten by the _Tremendous_. The defeat came as a severe blow, particularly as a treasured silver challenge cup, presented by the admiral and awarded annually to the best ship, now left its resting-place on the _Belligerent's_ mess-deck and found its way to the flagship. It was carried off in triumph by the winners; but the _Belligerent's_ gunlayers cursed long and loud, and swore by all their gods that it had been won by a fluke. So did some of the officers.
'This 'ere's th' ruddy limit!' Billings muttered fiercely. 'Ter think o' these 'ere Duffos[28] 'avin' th' imperence ter say they 'ave beaten us! They ain't done it fair! S' welp me, they ain't! It's enuf ter make a bloke take ter--ter anythin'!' He was going to say 'beer;' but, remembering Mrs Figgins and his new-found respectability, he wisely refrained.
[28] The ship's company of a ship hailing from Devonport are known as 'Duffos' to the men of ships with Portsmouth and Chatham crews. A 'duff' is a pudding, and the term probably originated on account of the west-countrymen's supposed liking for that comestible.
After spending a month at Gibraltar, they returned to Portland to give four days' Easter leave, and then sailed off to Berehaven, where they did more gunnery. Then on to the west coast of Scotland for a cruise, and finally back to Portland again.
The time passed very rapidly. Spring gave way to summer, and in due course Pincher found himself passed out of the seamanship training-class and handed over to the tender mercies of a torpedo gunner's mate, who crammed his head with an astounding number of facts pertaining to electricity and torpedo work generally.
One Sunday in the early summer, however, the chaplain rather electrified his congregation. 'I publish the banns of marriage,' he read, 'between Able Seaman Joshua Billings, bachelor, of this ship, and Martha Ann Figgins, widow, of the parish of St Cuthbert's, Weymouth. If any of you know cause or just impediment why these two persons should not be joined together in holy matrimony, you are to declare it. This is for the first time of asking.'