C-! That means the aren't fully mature due to coming early
The state patrol. The enforce the speed limit, etc.
This passage has a melancholic mood. You can tell this due to some specific key words: "dull", "dark", "soundless." They all have a negative connotation. The imagery of a lone rider in a dreary and dull country under the oppressive sky may clue you in that the overall passage has a sad tone to it. Even later in the passage the author states that the scene is melancholic.
