The night brought little coolness with it, and the wind that blew was warm and drying.

Under its touch the leaves began to crinkle up at the edge and turn brown, the grass showed signs of withering and Willet, who had taken charge of the guard that night, noticed that summer was passing into the brown leaf.

It caused him a pang of disappointment.
Great Britain and the Colonies had not yet begun to move.

The Provincial legislatures still wrangled, and the government at London was provokingly slow.

There was still no plan of campaign, the great resources of the Anglo-Saxons had not yet been brought together for use against the quick and daring French, and while their slow, patient courage might win in the end, Willet foresaw a long and terrible war with many disasters at the beginning.
He was depressed for the moment.