FIELD SPORTS OF NORTHERN LUZON 



231 



BONTOC IGOROT SLAPPING GAME 

 Third position : the striker ready to deliver his blow 



executes a pantomime, showing how he 

 fought his enemy, killed him, and took 

 his head. Meantime his feet never for 

 a moment fail to keep time to the music. 

 In two minutes we learn things about 

 the handling of shield, lance, and head- 

 axe of which we never dreamed. As the 

 performance ends, the crowd indicates its 

 appreciation by giving an ear-splitting 

 yell. Those who have not been able to 

 see the dancer nevertheless join in the 

 applause on general principles. 



The dancers from Bontoc town lay 

 their gansas on the ground and retire, 

 and a picked delegation of their ances- 

 tral enemies from the neighboring town 

 of Tucucan snatch up the instruments 

 and announce that they will show the 

 people of Bontoc a little real dancing. 

 This time two fully armed warriors in- 

 dulge in mimic combat, advancing, re- 

 tiring, thrusting, parrying, and keeping 

 up a marvelous exhibition of skill and 



endurance, but withal never for an in- 

 stant losing the step. 



Town after town sends its dancers to 

 the front, and each new delegation is 

 generously applauded. This gives rise to 

 good feeling, and presently the town 

 lines, which were at the outset sharply 

 drawn, begin to break down and people 

 from two or more settlements dance to- 

 gether. The Igorot constabulary soldiers 

 cannot resist the temptation to join in. 

 At first they retain their uniforms, but 

 soon get too warm, retire for a moment, 

 and reappear stripped to their clouts. 

 Their strikingly light-colored bodies show 

 that the Bontoc Igorot, when free from 

 dirt and sunburn, has quite a fair skin. 



THE CHAMPION DANCER 



We go down and mingle with the 

 crowd, and, noting unusual excitement 

 among the women at the edge of a 

 dance circle, force our way through to 



