H ARRY VANDALL lives on a 
mountain ranch at Palo Colo¬ 
rado, Monterey County, Cali¬ 
fornia, and has hunted deer a good 
part of his life. Fourteen years ago, 
while out in the woods with his dog, 
he discovered a little fawn 
hardly more than a day old. It 
lay hidden in the dry leaves 
and was too young to run away. 
The mother, apparently, had 
left it and probably was killed 
by some animal or hunter be¬ 
fore she could return. So, 
Harry carried the little deer 
home. 
He cared for it tenderly and 
fed it condensed milk from a 
bottle. It was a little female 
and became gentle and affec¬ 
tionate, playing with the two 
dogs on the ranch as if they 
were members of its own 
family. 
Vandall was a bachelor, and the 
little pet was a welcome companion in 
the home. She developed a liking for 
sweetened tea and coffee and revelled 
in the orchard near by. 
He named her “Tootsie” 
and she came at the call 
of her name like a little 
child. Wherever Harry 
went Tootsie had to go 
also and she demanded 
a great deal of petting. 
If this were not forth¬ 
coming, she snuggled 
under her master’s arm, 
ran her nose into his 
coat or down his collar, 
till she received the at¬ 
tention she craved. 
The two dogs were 
her chums and she per- 
Those immortals who attain to the heights—• 
they are more than the mere result of 
chance and environment—for theirs is the 
irrepressible genius which lifts them from 
the throng. And so is it with all God’s chil¬ 
dren—even Tootsie, a mere deer, was more 
than just a deer, and something more than 
environment made her the unique character 
in the remarkable exploits this tale depicts 
When Harry went on his hunting- 
trips, she followed along after her dog 
companions, and, if he camped out all 
night, she slept with them, only rising 
THE DOE THAT LEF1 
HER FOREST HOME TO COME INTO THE ABODE 
OF MAN 
occasionally during the night to go out 
and browse around for a while, then 
returned and lay down beside them. 
Up to the time she was two years old 
she went upon these excursions, and 
even when another deer was shot and 
later cleaned in camp, she came 
up, smelled the body, but paid 
no particular attention to it 
and had no fear of blood. 
One of her strange tastes 
was her liking for tobacco, and 
she ate cigarettes as a small 
boy eats sticks of candy. They 
were a delicacy. 
She seldom ranged far from 
home, but at the end of her 
second year she suddenly dis¬ 
appeared and Mr. Vandall 
thought she was gone for good, 
but at the expiration of three 
or four days she appeared on a 
distant hill at sunset and with 
her she had a gallant buck. In 
a few days she returned to the ranch, 
her honeymoon was over, and she set¬ 
tled down to a life of contentment with 
her old friends. 
For fear that hunters 
might kill her, Harry 
fastened a bell around 
her neck and she wore 
this useful ornament for 
years. In the spring 
she disappeared again, 
but after a couple of 
weeks she returned with 
two beautiful little 
fawns of her own, both 
bucks. She did not stay 
long—she only visited— 
for the little deer were 
very timid about coming 
close to the house. 
(Continued on page 655) 
Paae 62A 
