The 5-foot ridgepole of the steep, heavy, grass roof is supported by two posts rising from the basal timbers of the third story.  The roof falls away sharply from the ridgepole not only at the sides but at the ends, so that, except at the ridge, the roof appears square.  Immediately beneath both ends of the ridgepole there is a small opening in the grass through which the smoke of the cooking fires is supposed to escape.  However, I have scarcely ever seen smoke issue from them, and, since the entire inner part of the building from the floor of the second story to the ridgepole is thickly covered with soot, it seems that little unconsumed carbon escapes through the smoke holes.  The lower part of the roof, for 3 1/2 feet, descends at a less steep angle, thus forming practically an awning against sun and rain.  Its lower edge is about 4 feet from the ground and projects some 4 feet beyond the side walls of the lower story.

The kat-yu’-fong, the dwelling of the poor, consists of a one-story structure built on the ground with the earth for the floor.  Some such buildings have a partition or partial partition running across them, beyond which are the sleeping boards, and there are shelves here and there; but the kat-yu’-fong is a makeshift, and consequently is not so fixed a type of dwelling as the fay’-u.

Piled close around the dwellings is a supply of firewood in the shape of pine blocks 3 or 4 feet long, usually cut from large trees.  These blocks furnish favorite lounging places for the women.  The people live most of the time outside their dwellings, and it is there that the social life of the married women is.  Any time of day they may be seen close to the a’-fong in the shade of the low, projecting roof sitting spinning or paring camotes; often three or four neighbors sit thus together and gossip.  The men are seldom with them, being about the ato buildings in the daytime when not working.  A few small children may be about the dwelling, as the little girls frequently help in preparing food for cooking.

During the day the dwelling is much alone.  When it is so left one and sometimes two runo stalks are set up in the earth on each side of the door leaning against the roof and projecting some 8 feet in the air.  This is the pud-i-pud’, the “ethics lock” on an Igorot dwelling.  An Igorot who enters the a’-fong of a neighbor when the pud-i-pud’ is up is called a thief —­ in the mind of all who see him he is such.

The family

Bontoc families are monogamous, and monogamy is the rule throughout the area, though now and then a man has two wives.  The presidente of Titipan has five wives, for each of whom he has a separate house, and during my residence in Bontoc he was building a sixth house for a new wife; but such a family is the exception —­ I never heard of another.

Many marriage unions produce eight and ten children, though, since the death rate is large, it is probable that families do not average more than six individuals.