Everyone in Starkfield knew him and gave him a greeting tempered to his own grave mien; but his taciturnity was respected and it
was only on rare occasions that one of the older men of the place detained him for a word. When this happened he would listen quietly, his blue eyes on the speaker’s face, and answer in so low a tone that his words never reached me; then he would climb stiffly into his buggy, gather up the reins in his left hand and drive slowly away in the direction of his farm. Judging from the context, the word "taciturnity" here means
Uncle Hammer gets very angry, particularly at Mr. Simms. He mutters something about getting his gun and leaves in a car. Mr. Morrison follows Uncle Hammer and is able to talk him down. Confronting a white man would have been devastating for Uncle Hammer and the family.
