In chapter 15, X-Ray acts like he's suddenly found a small gold tube, and Mr. Pendanski drives back to the camp to inform the Warden of X-Ray's discovery. When the Warden arrives, she briefly examines the strange tube and instructs Mr. Pendanski to refill everyone's canteens. When Mr. Pendanski questions her instructions, she comments that the boys have probably sipped some of their water since the last refill and calls Stanley by his nickname. Stanley is surprised that the Warden knows that Caveman is his nickname.
At the end of the day, Mr. Sir drives the Warden back to camp and Stanley asks the others how the Warden knows everyone's nicknames since she is never around them. Zigzag proceeds to explain that the Warden has hidden cameras all over the place and even has small microphones in the Wreck Room and the shower. After Zigzag answers his question, Stanley realizes why X-Ray did not want to talk to him about the gold tube at breakfast. Essentially, the Warden has the entire camp bugged and keeps the boys under constant surveillance.
The boys at the camp are ready for another day of hard toil and much hole-digging. Before they head out, though, they need to get their canteens filled with water. The Warden orders Mr. Pendanski to do this. Mr. Pendanski replies that he already has done it. The Warden doesn't take kindly to having her authority questioned, either by the boys or her subordinates. Angrily, she asks Stanley if his canteen has been filled, which it hasn't. She calls him "Caveman," which makes Stanley wonder how the Warden knows his nickname. Zigzag suggests it's because the Warden has an extensive system of hidden microphones and cameras in place to record what the boys say and do. As it turns out, Zigzag isn't being paranoid; the Warden does indeed employ a full panoply of surveillance equipment to keep tabs on everyone. This way she gets to exert complete control over the boys under her authority.
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