[290] permítamelo. The pronoun lo refers to ir con mis guías.
[291] Poníanse recién. Argentinism for acababan de ponerse.
[292] sin que... laureles, lit., without its falling to the lot of more than fifty to gather the laurels.
[293] anfiteatro de la Edad Media. That is, the condition and civilization of Ecuador were then medieval; trans., medieval amphitheater.
[294] algunos, i.e., ombús.
[295] madrastra, lit., stepmother, hence unkindly, harmful.
[296] su follaje, i.e., de los demás árboles.
[297] montes. Note the pun on the word monte, which may mean a wood or a mountain.
[298] no ansiaba. The negative is redundant.
[299] lo estamparon. Lo refers to pie.