How It All Goes Down
Hunted
- The men nickname Watanabe "the Bird" (4.24.2) because it's an innocuous name that can't get them into any trouble.
- The Bird likes to run around screaming "Keirei!" (4.24.3) and clubbing people who fail to salute.
- Louie is forced to empty benjos with a ladle, which is like emptying porta-potties with a spoon.
- Once again, the men do what they can to sabotage the camp and regain their dignity: stealing sugar, shredding clothes, stuffing dirt in gas tanks.
- Some of the guards are nice though, and they sneak food and blankets to the POWs and make sure they get adequate medical treatment.
- Poor Louie can't get a break from the Bird though, and being bullied by him brings back memories of childhood bullying. Louie dreams about killing the Bird.
- Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Louie, the Japanese create a fake propaganda broadcast with a message from Louie, saying that he is "uninjured and in good health" (4.24.33).
- A man in South Africa hears the broadcast and sends a card to Louie's parents, but he gets the address wrong and it takes months for the card to arrive.