There were but a couple of clumsy farm mares available to them, and these the knights secured, their only equipments being headstalls abstracted from the harness in the barn, while the course fixed upon was a meadow well out of sight from the houses and the eyes of the elders.

Valentine was instructed in his duties, particularly in the manner of giving the word of command.

_Laissez aller_, as found in "Ivanhoe," Grant did not understand, but a passage from "The Lady of the Lake": "Now, gallants! for your ladies' sake, Upon them with the lance!" seemed to answer every purpose, and Valentine was instructed to commit it to memory, as the event proved, with but indifferent success.

He comprehended, in a vague way, that the warriors were to do battle for the honor of their true loves, but, at the critical moment, the lines escaped him and he had to improvise.

The lances were rake-handles, and, as this was not to be a fray _a l'outrance_, about the end of each formidable weapon was wadded and tied an empty flour bag.
The unwilling, lumbering mares were brought upon the ground, and Valentine held the headstall reins while a preliminary ceremony was performed, for your perfect knight omits no courteous detail.