The next day the Japanese commander informed our own
 
prison headquarters that McFee had been shot while trying to escape,
 
and that they were sorry that the incident had occurred. That
 
closed the entire matter.
 
     McFee was murdered in cold blood. There was no evidence
 
to support the statement that he had been trying to escape. We
 
examined his effects in the hospital after the shooting. He was
 
carrying no food or equipment of any kind. No sane person would
 
have attempted to brave the jungle in such a manner.
 
     But there was no thought of turning back among our little
 
escape party of ten, although this event served to increase our
 
caution. We were so cautious, in fact, that as far as I know none
 
of the prisoners outside our party had any suspicion of our plans.
 
 
Commander McCoy:
 
     The two days after the shooting, Friday and Saturday,
 
were the two longest days in my memory.
 
     On Sunday morning I got up early and began to hide my
 
home-made charts, extra clothing, medicines, etc., underneath my
 
usual garments. Very carefully, I placed in an inner pocket three
 
fragile pina cloth handkerchiefs which I had found in a tunnel on
 
Corregidor on the day of surrender, and which I devoutly hoped I
 
would some day be able to present to my .wife, Betty Aune, and my
 
two little daughters, Anne and Jean. There was barely room under-
 
neath my clothing for my precious mosquito netting--all the re-
 
maining space in my musette bag had been filled by another of my
 
most valuable possessions, a half-roll of toilet paper which also
 
                                        -79-