March walked quickly back to the wardroom where he found Larry Gray and McFee smoking and talking. “Well, I was told that the crew knew everything important before the officers,” he said. “But why did you want to keep it secret?” Larry almost blushed. “Oh, so you found out?” “It’s on the bulletin board!” March exclaimed. “Oh, my golly! These sub crews!” Larry exclaimed. “They can even read your thoughts!” “Say, what’s all this about?” Mac cried. “Let me in on it!” “Go read it for yourself,” March said. “The Skipper made me find it out the hard way.” As Mac squeezed out from behind the little table and hurried down the companionway, March put out his hand and shook Larry’s. “Congratulations, Skipper,” he said. “Thanks, March,” Gray said. “Some of the crew on shore liberty must’ve run into it up at headquarters somehow. They don’t miss a thing.” They not only missed nothing, but they did not miss a chance to do something about it. After mess a delegation from the crew appeared and asked for an audience with the Skipper. He sensed what was coming and met them in the control room. Pete Kalinsky, Chief Petty Officer in the torpedo room, was the spokesman. “Lieutenant Commander Gray, sir,” he said. “Your crew is very happy to see you gettin’ up where you belong, though they’ve got to come through a few more times before it’s okay with us. We knew you wouldn’t bother about such things, but the _Kamongo’s_ captain ought to do himself proud, so on behalf of the crew I give you these.” He coughed, acted as if he were about to add something else, then said “Sir,” lamely, and backed up. Larry took the small packages Pete had handed him and undid them with fingers that shook slightly. First came a set of three gold stripes, two wide and one narrow, for his blue uniform. Then the same in black for his work uniform. Then shoulder insignia and finally two gold oak-leaves for pinning on his shirt collars. March, who stood behind Larry, felt a lump in his throat. He knew how Larry must be feeling and wondered how he could keep the tears out of his eyes. There was a long silence, and March knew that Larry was waiting for his voice to get under control before he spoke. Everyone was looking at him as he fingered the marks of his new rank which had been presented to him by his crew. Not only had they got the news almost as soon as it had happened, but somebody had taken up a collection and rushed downtown, during his last hours of shore leave, to buy these things for him.