Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-09-23
The Women Chums..
(Original.1

[Originall
The Scandinavian ship Sea Gull was
sailing in Kara bay, part Of the Arc
tic ocean lying between Russia proper
and Siberia. About FIVE miles from
the Russian cVast at sunrise in the
morning the lookout in the fire top, a
woman (women on Scandinavian ships
do the same work before the mast as
mem, saw on the port quarter a black
speck on the track of sunlight shim-
mering on the waves. A black speck
on a river usually means nothing, but
at sea always excites attention. The
lookout seized glass and brought it
20 bear on the object, which under the
magnifying power of the glass was re-
solved into boat with a person in it.
The lookout sent word to the captain,
who gave orders to put the vessel off a
point or two with view to discover.
ing II the lone boatman needed as
sistance.
AS the Sea Gull approached the boat
the figure In it was discovered to be
that of woman. She was lifted over
the ships side in an exhausted condi-
t1on, pale and emaciated, but when
they asked her questions she could re-
spond only in the Russian language,
which was unintelligible to the Scan:
d1navians. One of the crew was a
young Russian woman, Katia Jaroff,
who had shipped at Siberian port 4
few days before. Knowing a little
Scandinavian, she was brought for
ward as an interpreter. A close Oh
| server would have noticed a slight
start on the part of both her and the
woman from the boat when they first
saw each other, but they sufficiently
| restrained themselves so that nothing
unusual was noticed. Katia questioned
the stranger and reported that she
claimed to have been aboard a Russian
vessel and, mourning the displeasure of
the captain, had been marooned. She
asked where the Sea Gull was bound
and when told that she would first stop
at Norwegian port asked to be trans
ported there. Since she had no money
she was required to work her passage
before the mast.
Naturally the two Russian women
became companions. The woman who
had been marooned, Sonia Sarder-
hoff, was large and soon regained her
strength, which was considerable.
katia, on the contrary, was delicate,
and she seemed to have been pulled
down by some past hardship. Both
women were intellectual looking, and
their station was evidently far above
that Of the balance of the crew. Sonia
from the time she was able to stand
watch offered to do duty also for Katia.
This she insisted upon and most of the
time did double work relieving Katia.
The first mate, Swede named Sean
derson, became enamored of Katia and
made love to her. Katia repealed him,
but he persisted. Sonia took the girl
under her protection. which led to hard
words between the mate and Sonia, and
during the alteration Sonia told him
that # he did not cease annoying her
friend and cOuntrywoman she would
| compel him to do so. This interested
the crew, who ridiculed Scanderson.
He paid no attention to Sonia's threat,
but persisted in annoying Katia.
One day while he was so doing he
was felled to the deck by blow from
Sonia. When the mate got up several
Of the sailors were laughing at him.
He attempted to bring the open palm
of his hand against Sonia's ear; but,
leaving his own face unguarded, he re.
cetved a knock under the jaw which
raised him off his feet and landed him
on the deck again.
A fight between man and Il woman
brought the crew together to see The
mate arose and let drive at Sonia. He
| was now In earnest, and the fight was
| more even. Sonia was at 4 disad-
vantage from her skirts. but she had
the luck to knock her enemy against
| the capstan, which stunned him, and
he was carried below unconscious.
| That ended the mates attentions to
Katia, and from the time of the fight
| the two women We're inseparable.
But Sonia had nothing to do with
| any Of the women Of the crew except
Katia. She would not occupy bunk
with the women, sleeping when she
did sleep at night on deck. She was a
puzzle to the men, and her devotion
to Katia excited good deal of curios-
ity. The captain, hearing of her quar-
rel with the mate. rcprimanded him
| and gave orders that the two Russian
| women should thereafter re treated
with every consideration. He even
relieved Katia of her part of the duties
Of seaman.
Finally the Sea Gull rounded the
northern extremity Of Norway and,
sailing down into the Atlantic ocean,
put into Bergen. When the anchor
had been dropped in Swedish waters
the women went to the cabin of the
captain and made a confession. They
were both escaped prisoners from the
Russian political prison at Kara
Katia had been convicted Of teaching
| the Russian peasants. Sonia was a
man, Michael Vlostoff, who had got
himself sent to Kara for the express
purpose Of freeing Katia, which he
had planned to do by bribery. Katia' S
escape had been made at the time ar
ranged. but Vlostoff had been delayed
They had arranged to get away from