 In January 1911 the Daggett party was running low on food, so they abducted and butchered some cattle belonging to a local rancher.A sheepherder named Bert Indiano witnessed the event and alerted the people of Surprise Valley, California, who sent a posse of three men to investigate the incident and protect the ranch.The three men, Harry Cambron, Peter Errammouspe and John Laxague, were to go to the ranch and join up with the sheepherder so the four could investigate the scene.