e was part of a task force scouting the
south Pacific. She was well kept and well manned, he saw. The men went
about their tasks with a dash that was heartwarming.

The captain was a tall man. He rose to his feet when Craig entered his
quarters, smiled, and held out his hand, "I'm Captain Higgins," he said.

Craig looked at him, blinked, then grinned. He took the out-stretched
hand.

"Hi, Stinky," he said. "It's good to see you again."

"Stinky!" Higgins choked. "Sir--"

"Don't get stuffy," Craig said, laughing.

Higgins stared at him. Little by little recognition began to dawn on the
captain's face. "Craig!" he whispered. "Winston Craig! This calls for a
drink."

"It does, indeed," Craig answered.

Captain Higgins provided the whiskey. It was Scotch. They drank it
straight.

"Where on earth have you been?" Higgins asked.

"Gold," Craig said. "Borneo." A frown crossed his face. "Our little
brown brothers came down from the north."

"I know," said Higgins grimly. "They came to Pearl Harbor too, the
little--. They ran you out of Borneo, eh?"

"I got out," Craig said.

"But this life-boat you were in? What happened?"

"Jap bombers happened. They caught the ship I was on. Luckily we managed
to get a few boats away--"

"I see. Where are the other boats?"

"Machine-gunned," Craig said. "A rain squall came along and hid us so
they didn't get around to working on the boat I was in." He shrugged.
"We were ten days in that boat. I was counting the jewels in the Pearly
Gates when your task force came along. But enough about me. What about
you?"

Higgins shrugged. "What you can see," he said.

Craig nodded. He could see plenty. The boy who had been known as
"Stinky" in their days at Annapolis was boss of a battle wagon.

"I heard you resigned your commission within a year after we had
finished at the Academy," Higgins said.

"Yes," Craig answered.

"Mind if I ask why?"

"Not at all. I just wanted some action and it didn't look as if I could
get it in the Navy. So--"

* * * * *

It was not so much what Craig said as what he left unsaid that was
important. He was a graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis. He and
Stinky Higgins had finished in the same class. Higgins had stayed with
the Navy. Craig had not been able to endure the inactivity of belonging
to a fighting organization when there was no fighting to be done. He was
born with the wanderlust, with itching feet,