ed, "and as long as I have to."

Mrs. Hare, walking down the trail to meet them, had come near. Their
journey out of the wilderness had ended, but for each a new life had
begun.

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 cha