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

hand after all the [sheet torn away] of the work was done. I saved the tail also, but just then I got a note from T. (along with some fowls for my larder (?)) in which he asked me to save him the tail if I didn't want it. He has done [underscored:] so [/underscore] much for me that I couldn't think of refusing him anything,-- in fact was only too glad to do something for him-- so I gave him the tail.

By a curious coincidence the copy of your letter dated Aug 2nd, sent to Madras-- was brought me by a peon just as we were finishing our work on the bones. And it surprised me greatly, and put an entirely new face on my future movements. I was surprised to find that you were ready and anxious for elephants [underscored:] ad libitum [/underscore] while I had been just on the point of leaving the only elephant grounds open to me anywhere. You have I think altered your mind some since your previous letters & since I saw you, on the desirability of elephants. You remember that coming down the Red Sea you said it was not very essential whether I got any elephants or not, and I really thought you had almost ceased to care for them. But you told me then, and in all subsequent letters that I must find out all about the subject, & make arrangements by which E's could be got & sent to you hereafter if you should require any. And you will see by referring to my letters that I was only induced to venture here for elephants, on my [underscored:] own responsibility [/underscore]-- I might almost say, (seeing that up to that time you had not told me to get you [underscored:] any [/underscored] by the hope of and prospect of getting [underscored:] two [/underscore] skeletons for £25, or a little more. After that you wrote, "kill an elephant if you can." You seemed still so indifferent about it that after having