"He has something before him not very far off.

Watch him." The trees had become dwarfed and scattered; they were getting out of the region of trees; the real forest zone was now below them, and they saw they were emerging towards a bald elevated down, and that a few hundred yards before them was a dead tree, on the highest branch of which sat an eagle.
"The dog has stopped," said Cecil, "the end is near." "See," said Sam, "there is a handkerchief under the tree." "That is the boy himself," said Cecil.
They were up to him and off in a moment.

There he lay, dead and stiff, one hand still grasping the flowers he had gathered on his last happy play-day, and the other laid as a pillow, between the soft cold cheek and the rough cold stone.

His midsummer holiday was over, his long journey was ended.

He had found out at last what lay beyond the shining river he had watched so long.
Both the young men knelt beside him for a moment in silence.