At the end of the story, the narrator returns to the signal box to meet with the signalman. On his arrival, however, he learns that the signalman died early that morning. In fact, he is told by a witness that he was "cut down by a train" as he carried out his duties. The narrator is then introduced to the driver who hit the signalman. He explains that he called to the signalman as he approached, but the signalman did not hear his warnings. His exact words were:
Below there! Look out! Look out! For God's sake, clear the way!
In an ironic twist, these are the words which forewarned the signalman of an accident on the line earlier in the story. What he did not realize, however, is that these words (spoken by the ghost) were signaling his own untimely demise.
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