Page:McClure's Magazine v9 n3 to v10 no2.djvu/135

WILL THE LIGHTS BE WHITE?

By Cy Warman,

Author of "Tales of an Engineer."

Oft when I feel my engine swerve,
As o'er strange rails we fare,
I strain my eyes around the curve
For what awaits us there.

When swift and free she carries me
Through yards unknown, at night,
I look along the line to see
That all the lamps are white.

A blue light! (rep track) crippled car;
The green light signals "slow,"
The red light is a danger light,
The white light "Let her go."

Again the open fields we roam,
And when the night is fair,
I gaze up in the starry dome,
And wonder what is there.

For who can speak for those who dwell
Behind the curving sky?
No man has ever lived to tell
Just what it means to die.

Swift towards life's terminal I trend,
The run seems short to-night.
God only knows what's at the end;
I hope the lamps are white.