CHAPTER IV
HUNTING ON THE FELLS
“The hounds but chop, the game is strong,
That pace of plight cannot be long,
Hark! Tally-ho’s from yon far height,
And now the whiners wend in sight,
Through Silver Ghyll for Skiddaw Fell,
They’ll kill him if he goes to h—l!”
No description of fell hunting would be complete without a reference to John Peel, the famous Cumbrian Master and Huntsman.
Although Peel was well known in his own country, his fame did not extend beyond the North, until the old song, “D’ye ken John Peel?” became popular. The spirited verses had little vogue until after Peel’s death in 1854, when the song suddenly became fashionable. The original song differs in some respects from the modern version, particularly in the first line. “D’ye ken John Peel with his coat so gay?” is sung to-day, whereas the original is, “Did ye ken John Peel wi’ his cwote seay gray?”
