 But something was astir in the prison camp, something Gordon would later call the miracle on the River Kwai. For most of the war, the prison camp had served as a laboratory of survival of the fittest, every man for himself. Men lived like animals, and for a long time, hate was the main motivation for staying alive. Recently, though, a change had come. One event in particular shook the prisoners. A guard discovered that a shovel was missing.