The title is taken from the 18th century ballad "Do Ye Ken John Peel", a song about fox-hunting. It is presumably a rather obscure allusion to the way that the bank robbers have hunted down Hiller and won't let him go again

A murderous lust for the British throne sees Richard III descend into madness. Though the setting is transposed to the 1930s, England is torn by civil war, split between the rivaling houses of York and Lancaster. Richard aspires to a fascist dictatorship, but must first remove the obstacles to his ascension—among them his brother, his nephews and his brother's wife. When the Duke of Buckingham deserts him, Richard's plans are compromised.