Glanton was first to reach the dying man and he knelt with that alien and barbarous head cradled between his thighs like some reeking outland nurse and dared off the savages with his revolver. They circled on the plain and shook their bows and lofted a few arrows at him and then turned and rode on. Blood bubbled from the man's chest and he turned his lost eyes upward, already glazed, the capillaries breaking up. In those dark pools there sat each a small and perfect sun.
In this tense scene from Cormac McCarthy's “Blood Meridian,” the character Glanton demonstrates a mix of compassion and violence as he tends to a dying man amidst a chaotic backdrop. He positions the man's head in a protective manner, embodying the role of a caregiver while simultaneously brandishing a revolver to fend off approaching aggressors. The savages circle menacingly, threatening Glanton's protective stance but ultimately retreating.
The dying man's fate appears grim as blood seeps from his chest, and he gazes upwards, his eyes reflecting a sense of loss. The description of his eyes filled with dark pools likens them to small suns, suggesting a profound depth of sorrow and the poignant beauty that can exist even in moments of despair. This scene encapsulates themes of violence, mortality, and the fleeting nature of life in a harsh world.
