He abruptly shoved back his chair and stood, his eyes alert and fearful as his right hand stole slowly toward the butt of the pistol at his hip.

Calumet's right hand did not seem to move, but before Taggart could get his weapon free of its holster he saw the sombre muzzle of a forty-five frowning at him from Calumet's hip and he quickly drew his own hand away--empty.
"Shucks," Calumet's voice came slowly into the silence that had fallen--slowly and softly and with apparently genuine deprecation.

"If I'd known that you was goin' to get that excited I'd have broke the news different.

I don't know what you're gettin' at, trying to drag your gun out that way.

I was hopin' we'd be friends.