250 SLEEPS IN HELDS LUM. CHAP. xn. 



length it became dark as he approached the broom 

 braes of Troup. He found himself fairly benighted. 

 At the same time he was tired and weary. lie had 

 endured many outs and ins, ups and downs, that day. 

 His intention was to have gone to the house of his 

 old shopmate at Gardenstown, and spend the night 

 But now he felt, from his worn-out condition, that 

 it would have taken him nearly two hours' walking 

 to reach the place. He therefore determined to stay 

 where he was, or rather, to go down to a sleeping- 

 place near Troup Head, to ascertain how his feathered 

 friends conducted themselves during the night time. 

 His sleeping place was a very wild one. It was 

 no other than Hell's Lum. He knew the place well. 

 He had entered it both from the sea-side and from the 

 land-side. He had been in it in storm and calm, 

 in clouds and sunshine. And now he was about to 

 spend the night in it. The weather was, however, 

 calm ; the sea was like a sheet of glass ; so that 

 he had little fear of getting a wetting during his few 

 hours' stay. While in the " Lum," he was at the back 

 of the cliffs, and in close proximity with the breeding 

 places of the myriads of sea-fowl. It was now the 

 busiest part of the season. The birds had been very 

 clamorous during the day, but as night came on, their 

 clamour ceased. With the exception of a few screams, 

 while, perhaps, the birds were being displaced in 

 their nests, the night was silent, though Edward 

 kept awake and listened for nearly the whole time. 



