Half an hour till train time and sir

And a fearful dark time too

Take a look at the switch lights Tom

Fetch in a stick when you're through

On time

Well yes I guess so

She left the last station all right

Bet she'll come around the curve a-flyin'

Bill Mason's on tonight

You know Bill

He's an engineer

Been on the road most of his life

I'll never forget the mornin'

He married himself a wife

Bill hadn't been married an hour

When up come a message from Kress

Orderin' Bill to go down there

And bring out the night express

Maggie sat down by the window

To wait for the night express

And sir if she hadn't 'a done so

She'd 'a been a widow I guess

For it must 'a been about midnight

When the mill hands left the Ridge

Down came those drunken devils

And tore off a rail from the bridge

But Maggie heard them workin'

And guessed there was somethin' wrong

And in less than fifteen minutes

Bill's train would be along

She couldn't 'a come here to tell us

A mile it wouldn't 'a done

So she just grabbed a lantern

And made for the bridge on the run

By God Bill saw the signal

And he stopped the night express

And he found his Maggie cryin'

On the track in her weddin' dress

Cryin' and laughin' for joy sir

And holdin' on to the light

Well here's the train goodbye sir

Bill Mason's on time tonight