The Monkees: Gold Rush

Walkin' Down the Street...

The sun was beating down on the stream. Mike wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Go to the streams, he said. They're overflowing with gold, he said," Mike huffed angrily.
Davy was in the shade of the tree. "Maybe we're in the wrong part of the streams," He said.
Mike looked over at Davy. "Maybe we're in the wrong part of the country. There ain't no gold here," He exclaimed.
"What about those other four lads, English like me, that struck it rich?" Davy said.
Mike was quiet for awhile. His hat was lying down on the ground beside him.
"God, Davy, what if we came here for nothin'?" Mike asked.
Davy didn't want to address Mike's words. How could he say something like that? They had worked too hard to come here for nothing.
"We didn't," Davy said after a few minutes had passed. Davy got out from under the shade of the tree and sat beside Mike. He took the pan from Mike and began to pan for gold.
For a long time there was nothing. Just dirt. Davy and Mike took turns panning. Days passed and neither of them found any gold. Every day they would trudge back to the saloon empty handed. Peter would give them money for a meal. They felt utterly defeated each day.
Calphurnia felt very sorry for them. She'd buy them drinks and share them with them. This act of kindness was something Mike appreciated the most. After all the panning he had done whiskey was nice to get his mind off his aching muscles.
It was a week after Mike and Davy had started panning for gold. Micky walked into the saloon. He smiled at Mike and Davy.
"Have you found any gold yet?" Micky asked.
Mike almost stood up to punch him, but Davy somehow managed to stop him. Micky was confused by this reaction. Surely they had found something by now.
"Haven't you found gold?" Micky asked sitting at the same table with them.
Davy shook his head. "We haven't found anything," He said defeatedly.
Micky stared. How had they found nothing? The stream he walked by every morning was literally gleaming with gold.
"Where do you go to pan?" Micky asked.
Mike looked up. "The same place as everyone else, just further down," He said.
Micky nodded slowly. "That's your problem," He said. "I'll show you where to pan."
Mike stared at him. "There's a special place to pan?" He asked slowly.
Micky nodded. "I know this place. It's a little out of the way, but it's got a lot of gold," He said.
Davy smiled at Micky. "We'd be very grateful," He said.
Micky nodded. "I like you guys. I can tell you're good guys. I just want to help," He said.
Mike watched Micky wearily. He didn't know if he should trusted him. He wasn't sure if he should trust anyone. It seemed like ever since he had come here he had been lied to and cheated.
Peter began to play an upbeat song on the piano in an strange style. Most of the dancing girls walked over to Peter. They all liked how Peter was always writing new tunes for them to dance to. The dancing girls really liked Peter.
Calphurnia looked over at Mike. "Why don't you bring your guitar anymore?" She asked.
Mike frowned. "I just haven't," He said.
"We all like your guitar. You should bring it sometime," Calphurnia said.
Mike nodded slowly.
"Don't you have a guitar in the back room?" Micky asked.
Calphurnia clapped. "That's true!" She exclaimed.
"I'm not in the mood," Mike said.
Calphurnia frowned. Micky sighed. The piano was the only sound in the room. Davy found himself drumming softly on the table. Micky watched lazily. "If only we had someone to play the guitar then we could really have a nice time," Micky commented.
Mike gave Micky a dirty look. Mike stood up and walked out of the saloon. Micky frowned. "Why is he always like that?" Micky asked.
Davy shrugged. "He's just moody," He said.
"Do you think you should go after him or something?" Micky asked.
Davy shook his head. "He'll come back when he's ready," He said.
Outside Mike was walking around. The town was bustling and loud. It made him want to be alone. A tune was playing in his head. He couldn't think of where he had heard it. He probably made it up, who knew. Mike walked out of town. He walked to the wagon he and Davy and Peter had been living in since they started their journey.
"Gold!" He exclaimed punching the frame of the wagon. "There ain't no gold here!"
Mike regretted punching the wagon as his hand throbbed. The tune was still running through his head. He realized that the tune was the one Peter had been playing in the saloon.
"With his fool's gold stacked up all around him," Mike sang. "From a killing in the market on the war..."
Mike stopped for a moment remembering the horrors he had seen while Texas had fought for its independence from Mexico. He shook his head. The bloody terrors still quite alive there.
"The children left King Midas there, as they found him
In his counting house where nothing counts but more..."
Mike got his guitar to play the notes he had heard and sang that verse over and over. He couldn't get it. He sat there for hours trying to.
"You know, that's pretty good."
Mike jumped. It was Peter.
"Did you make that up yourself?" Peter asked.
Mike looked down at his guitar. "Only the song. The tune is what you were playing in the saloon," He said.
Peter smiled. "Can I help with it?" He asked.
Mike looked up at the sky. "No, not tonight. We all need some sleep," He said.
"Micky's taking you and Davy to the stream he was talking about tomorrow, early in the morning," Peter said.
Mike nodded as he laid out on the floor of the wagon. The tune, and words for it, went through his head. He tried to hang onto them when he woke up the next morning.
The next morning he was woken up by Davy shaking him. "Get up," He said.
Mike rubbed his eyes. "I'm up," He mumbled.
"Let's go. Micky's waiting for us," Davy said.
Mike got up from the wagon. There was a campfire in front of it. Micky was sitting on a log. The sun was barely peaking up above the horizon. Davy passed Mike a cup of coffee. Mike took a drink. It was the worst coffee he had ever drank in his life, but at this hour he wasn't going to complain.
The three of them sat there quietly for a few minutes before Micky stood up. Davy and Mike followed Micky silently. They walked for awhile, towards a wooded area. Micky walked through easily finding his way to a stream. He pointed to the stream.
"Pan there," Was all he said.
Mike took the pan and set it down in the water. He sloshed the dirt out slowly until there was only yellow at the bottom. Mike looked up wide-eyed at Davy.
Davy grinned like a madman.
"Gold!" They exclaimed together.