“Did—did Rowan kill either of them?” she whispered.
“I don’t know who killed Tait. Several of the boys were firing. Mac didn’t kill Gilroy. I’m ’most sure of that.”
“You’re not dead sure,” she insisted.
“I’m what you might call morally certain. But there’s one man can set yore mind at rest, if you can get him to talk.”
“Who?”
“Hal Falkner. He knows who started the shooting and who killed Dan Gilroy.”
“I’ve hardly met him. Do you think he would tell me?”
“Maybe he would.” He smiled a little. “I notice you mostly get yore way. Hal’s rough-and-ready. Don’t you mind it if he acts gruff. That’s just his way.”
“I’ll go see him.”
“I reckon it won’t do any harm. But I can tell you one thing, anyhow. If you give Mac the benefit of all the doubts, it will be about what’s right. He saved the herders from Falkner. Silcott testified to that. Before Gilroy was shot I heard yore husband holler to stop firing. Now wouldn’t it be onreasonable to figure that he gunned Dan himself right away? If Mac wouldn’t tell you-all what happened it was because we had all made a solemn agreement not to talk.”