The husband and father of the two ladies had reached the fort only an hour or so ahead of the mounted party and preparations were being made for an expedition to cut off the retreat of the Indians.  He was known to most of his friends in America only as Colonel Benjamin Hare—­a royal commissioner who had come to the colonies to inspect and report upon the defenses of His Majesty.  He wore the uniform of a Colonel of the King’s Guard.  There is an old letter of John Irons which says that he was a splendid figure of a man, tall and well proportioned and about forty, with dark eyes, his hair and mustache just beginning to show gray.

“I shall not try here to measure my gratitude,” he said to Mr. Irons.  “I will see you to-morrow.”

“You owe me nothing,” Irons answered.  “The rescue of your wife and daughter is due to the resourceful and famous scout—­Solomon Binkus.”

“Dear old rough-barked hickory man!” the Colonel exclaimed.  “I hope to see him soon.”

He went at once with his wife and daughter to rooms in the fort.  That evening he satisfied himself as to the character and standing of John Irons, learning that he was a patriot of large influence and considerable means.

The latter family and that of Peter Bones were well quartered in tents with a part of the Fifty-Fifth Regiment then at Fort Stanwix.  Next morning Jack went to breakfast with Colonel Hare and his wife and daughter in their rooms, after which the Colonel invited the boy to take a walk with him out to the little settlement of Mill River.  Jack, being overawed, was rather slow in declaring himself and the Colonel presently remarked: 

“You and my daughter seem to have got well acquainted.”

“Yes, sir; but not as well as I could wish,” Jack answered.  “Our journey ended too soon.  I love your daughter, sir, and I hope you will let me tell her and ask her to be my wife sometime.”

“You are both too young,” said the Colonel.  “Besides you have known each other not quite three days and I have known you not as many hours.  We are deeply grateful to you, but it is better for you and for her that this matter should not be hurried.  After a year has passed, if you think you still care to see each other, I will ask you to come to England.  I think you are a fine, manly, brave chap, but really you will admit that I have a right to know you better before my daughter engages to marry you.”

Jack freely admitted that the request was well founded, albeit he declared, frankly, that he would like to be got acquainted with as soon as possible.

“We must take the first ship back to England,” said the Colonel.  “You are both young and in a matter of this kind there should be no haste.  If your affection is real, it will be none the worse for a little keeping.”

Solomon Binkus and Peter and Israel and John Bones and some settlers north of Horse Valley arrived next day with the captured Indians, who, under a military guard, were sent on to the Great Father at Johnson Castle.