The Man in the Iron Mask Chapter Fifty: The Death of a Titan Summary

  • Aramis leads Porthos into another compartment of the cavern and shows him a seventy to eighty pound barrel of powder attached to a fuse.
  • Porthos is to wait until all the men are together, and then hurl the barrel in their direction.
  • Aramis prepares the boat for departure.
  • They light the barrel. Aramis leaves.
  • As the fuse sparkles, the giant figure of Porthos is briefly illuminated. The soldiers are terrified.
  • An officer tries to get some men to fire at Porthos, but they miss.
  • The barrel falls into the soldiers' midst. The officer falls on the barrel, trying to stop the fuse.
  • The barrel explodes. The soldiers die. Porthos turns and runs for the exit. He can see Aramis manning the boat. Six steps away from freedom, Porthos feels his legs falter.
  • Porthos cannot move, and Aramis cries for him to hurry.
  • Porthos cannot move. Then the explosion hits. Porthos regains his strength, but as he is running, granite rocks begin to fall from overhead. Porthos attempts to carry the giant granite masses, but even his strength is no match for the weight of the rocks.
  • He is slowly crushed. Frantic, Aramis and two of the servants try to come to his aid.
  • Porthos continues being crushed into the ground even as the men work to free him.
  • His last words are: "Too heavy."