▁as ▁being ▁excellent ▁sc outs . ▁These ▁three ▁men ▁were ▁deput ized ▁as ▁well , ▁making ▁the ▁pos se ▁a ▁force ▁of ▁nine ▁men ▁altogether . ▁After ▁that , ▁the ▁pos se ▁continued ▁along ▁the ▁trail ▁south ▁to ▁Big ▁Lake ▁and ▁then ▁to ▁Dead ▁Man ' s ▁Cross ing ▁on ▁the ▁Black ▁River . ▁On ▁October ▁ 7 , ▁at ▁a ▁ran ch ▁belonging ▁to ▁P ete ▁S la ugh ter , ▁the ▁pos se ▁found ▁an ▁abandoned ▁camp ▁that ▁was ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁recently ▁occupied ▁by ▁the ▁out la ws . ▁The ▁r angers ▁decided ▁to ▁camp ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁location ▁for ▁the ▁night ▁and ▁then ▁proceed ▁down ▁the ▁west ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁bank ▁on ▁the ▁following ▁morning . ▁ ▁Gun f ight ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁morning ▁of ▁T ues day , ▁October ▁ 8 , ▁the ▁pos se ▁a wo ke , ▁had ▁breakfast , ▁and ▁then ▁s add led ▁to ▁continue ▁down ▁the ▁river . ▁Al ong ▁the ▁way ▁they ▁passed ▁the ▁P air - O ' D ice ▁R anch . ▁The ▁area ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁White ▁Mountains ▁and ▁thus ▁heavily ▁for ested ▁and ▁difficult ▁to ▁traverse . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁very ▁cold ▁and ▁snow ▁covered ▁the ▁ground . ▁That ▁day ▁the ▁Smith ▁Gang ▁was ▁camp ed ▁at ▁Res ervation ▁Creek , ▁just ▁inside ▁the ▁western ▁border ▁of ▁the ▁Fort ▁Apache ▁res ervation , ▁in ▁a ▁can y on ▁ 2 0 0 ▁yards ▁wide ▁and ▁ 1 0 0 ▁feet ▁deep , ▁near ▁the ▁source