At once he pulled out his gun, leant over, and pointed it at me.

What can one do in such a case?
He had the "drop" on me; and demanded that I should take back what I had said.
Well, I wriggled out of it somehow, told him he was very foolish to make such a "break" as that, and talked to him till he cooled down.

It was an anxious few minutes, and I am very proud to think he did not "phase" me very much, as he afterwards admitted.

Peace was secured with honour.
I was lucky to be able to leave the West and the cattle business with a hide free from perforations and punctures of any kind..