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Louis Toadvine, referred to mainly as Toadvine, is the deuteragonist of the late Cormac McCarthy's 1985 historical and anti-Western epic novel Blood Meridian.
Biography[]
At some point in his early life, Toadvine attempted to steal a horse but was caught and charged for his crimes. This is known because of the HT and F branded into his head, along with his slashed ears, as this was a punishment given to thieves during the 19th century (HT meaning Horse Thief and F meaning Felon).
He would later meet the Kid and the Judge, eventually convincing the former to join the Glanton Gang under the latter's influence. Toadvine is one of the more reasonable members of the Glanton Gang, as they are not quite as brutal as Glanton or the Judge, such as when they threaten to kill the Judge after he sees that they murdered, scalped, and potentially raped an Apache child, putting a gun to the man's head. The Judge, in this moment, held no fear and told Toadvine that if he intended to do it, he should do it now. Toadvine chose not to, and he put his gun away.
Knowing that the Judge has no hesitation to harm children, Toadvine does his best to try and keep the Kid at a distance from the Judge at many points in the novel, actively warning him not to involve himself with the man, but the Kid still talks to and works with the Judge on many occasions.
Much later in the novel, after Glanton's death, the remaining Glanton's Gang members (the Kid, Toadvine, Tobin, and Brown) reunite with the Judge and the Idiot, both naked in the desert. The Judge asks to buy Toadvine's hat from him, and Toadvine agrees to sell it to him. Shortly later, Tobin manipulates the kid by telling him that the Judge killed Brown and Toadvine, which is untrue, but it causes the Kid and Tobin to try and fight the Judge. After they lose, Tobin and the Kid flee, leaving Toadvine and Brown with the Judge.
Later, Toadvine would be arrested alongside David Brown, and both were hung for their crimes.