Transcribe Hornaday, W. T. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1877-09-22)

[???] Anamallay Forest. Saturday. Sept 22nd 1877

Dear Prof. Ward:

At last the tide has turned and [underscored:] I've got an Elephant [/underscore] for you, in spite of luck, fate and the fever. The "forlorn hope" was a complete success. We bagged a fine tusquer and he is now skeletonized and the bones are being carried out of the Forest to a place of safety. His height was about 8 ft 4 inches, tusks 21 inches from tip to socket, but thick & blunt-- [underscored:] just right [/underscore] for a museum specimen. If you knew the risk Theobald & I ran in getting that fellow you would give us an inflating or a leather medal, and I hardly know which. But its [sic] all right now. We-- my men & I-- [pitched?] into him about three hours after he fell, and worked almost half the night on him by the light of a lantern and a big fire. The next day at sunset all the bones were out, cleaned, soaped & tied up in bundles. To say that we worked hard does not express it at all. I think I never worked as hard before for a day, in my life. Thank heaven that I had no fever and [underscored:] felt [/underscore] like work. For these men must be [underscored:] led [/underscore] and directed at every turn, and must have some one to show them how to work who will work harder than any of them. I had five men, & they all worked well-- thanks to arrack and tobacco & [underscored:] backsheesh [/underscore]. We went at it in the most systematic manner, and got through it in precisely the time I had calculated it would take us. I was not there any of the time, but I have my men trained so that I can talk to them without saying a word and they understand me. I saved the four feet (skin) for you for the footstools, but am not certain yet that the epidermis will stay on, as I could only take them in