He looked round, and discovering a large stone, he fetched it, and discharged it into the place where he supposed the centre of the trap to be. At once with a horrid snap and clang, the jaws of the huge trap sprung out of the concealing leaves and clashed together with a direful shock. Father and son stood rooted fast with terror. There was revealed the great iron engine in a half circle of at least half a yard high, with its hideous iron teeth closed and grinning terribly. “There!” said the father—“take care, Tom, how you goon a bird-nesting into woods. If this had caught you, it would have snapped you in the very middle of your body, and these devil’s teeth would have a’most met in your flesh. Nobody but the wretch of a keeper as set it could have got you out, and if you had bin by yersen you mun ha’ died afore anybody had fun ye.” The man immediately, on reaching the village, asked permission to see Mr. Degge, who heard the account with great indignation, and taking another strong man with him, went to the place to see this truly “infernal machine.” He found it within five yards of the footpath through the copse, and expressing his astonishment and abhorrence of an act then become as illegal as it was monstrous, he ordered the men to take it and carry it to the village. There they deposited it by the public stocks, and chained it, and made it fast by a padlock to it,—fitting companions. The exhibition, and the place in which this horrid engine was found, created a most indignant sensation against Sir Roger Rockville and his keeper. Such were the diabolical machines that used to be set in our game preserves half a century ago or more, almost as commonly as the lesser trap is yet set for lesser animals. Such is the wonderful effect of custom and of selfish interests, that these dire engines of a demoniac cruelty could be planted here and there in English woods, and which might catch and hold in their hideous fangs human creatures, and keep them in inexpressible tortures for perhaps twelve hours or more; whilst all the time the gentlemen and the ladies on those estates were sleeping comfortably in their beds. Such was the force of these man-traps, that they required a man with an iron winch to open them by a mechanism attached for the purpose. These barbarous machines had now been made illegal by act of parliament, yet Sir Roger and others continued to use them, as I know, for I myself had long after this period a narrow escape, when botanizing, of being caught in one in the woods of Strelley, near Nottingham; and that within a few yards of a foot-road! There was a great running from all parts of the village to see this monument of the tender mercies of Sir Roger Rockville, and many were the inverted blessings showered on his head. Very soon, however, the keeper came in hot haste to reclaim his trap, and Mr. Degge immediately apprehended him by warrant, and committed him to the house of correction and hard labour for six months.