The Monkees: Gold Rush

From Everyone We Meet...

There was laughter behind Peter as a lamp was lit. "God, I love doing that," A black man said from behind Peter.
Peter turned to see the man. "Richard..."
"Penniman, yeah. What do you want?" He started speaking very friendly, but he sounded almost annoyed when he asked his question.
Peter was taken aback by the man's sudden change in attitude. "Vincent sent me... He said you could help her leg," Peter said quickly.
Richard looked at Aponi's leg. "It's broken for sure," He said. "How'd this happen? I haven't seen anything this bad since Vincent drug himself in here for the first time."
"Well... There were these men on horses and they were circling her and stuff," Peter said.
Richard nodded. He looked at Aponi with a sad look. "Don't like our colors," He said.
Aponi nodded. Richard turned to Peter. "I'll fix her up, but it'll be two hundred dollars at least," He said.
"I don't have the money on me, but I can get it," Peter said.
Richard frowned. "You better or I'll have you tarred and feathered, then I'll curse you," He said.
As the light in the room got slowly brighter he saw that Richard was wearing very bright clothing with strange patterns. The room had crosses all over the walls, but little skulls, bottles of colorful liquids and powders, and a number of small creatures in jars on the shelves. There was another black man in the room, but he hadn't said anything. Peter assumed he was the one to light the lamp, which was very close to what looked like a ram's head.
"Will I be cripple?" Aponi asked quietly.
Richard looked at her leg. "Don't know. I've seen worse and I've treated worse, but it's always a little touch and go with broken legs," He said. "You should be fine. Maybe a small limp, but I'll do my best."
Richard turned towards Peter. "Well, get out of here. Come back in the morning and I'll have her all set and everything. She'll be fine with me," He said.
Peter gave Aponi one last look before walking out of the door. Aponi looked scared. Peter shut the door behind him, but he couldn't help worrying about Aponi. He walked over to Vincent's horse. He untied it and rode back to the wagon. Mike and Davy were already there, though they weren't asleep yet.
"How much will it cost?" Mike asked immediately.
"Two hundred dollars, at least," Peter said as he tied the horse to the wagon's wheel.
Mike sighed. "We've got that much, but not much more," He said.
"I've got a bit of money saved up from working in the saloon," Peter said. "Only about ten dollars though."
Davy sighed. "We'll pay for it," He said. "You'll just have to come pan with us one day."
Peter nodded. Mike leaned back.
"Let's all get some sleep," Mike said. "That'll do everyone some good."
Davy laid back as well. "Goodnight, Peter, Mike," He said yawning.
Peter rolled out his sleeping mat onto the ground. He laid his head down on his arm and tried to fall sleep. As he drifted off, he found himself imagining Aponi. His dreams were filled with images of her.
•••
"Get up Peter," Davy said shaking his sleeping friend.
Peter opened his eyes. He was drowsy. "Do you want some coffee?" Davy asked.
Peter nodded gratefully. Davy handed him a cup. Peter drank it quickly so he wouldn't taste it. Davy couldn't make a good cup of coffee for his life. "You needa get that horse back to the jail," Mike said.
Peter nodded. He was still tired, but he hoped a few splashes of water would wake him. He rubbed his eyes as he stood up. He walked towards the horse. It was kicking at the dirt.
Peter untied the horse and rode it to a stream. It immediately began to drink. Peter splashed some water on his face to wake himself up. It helped, but he was still drowsy. He couldn't wait for the caffeine to kick in. He let the horse drink for awhile. He was humming the tune he and Mike had been working on. "And he thought he heard the echo of a penny whistle band
And the laughter from a distant caravan
And the brightly painted line of circus wagons in the sand
Fading through the door into summer..." He sang softly remembering the words they had wrote. He scratched his head. There weren't any words after that. He and Mike had decided that was the chorus, but they couldn't think up the words for a second verse.
Peter remembered the sign on Richard Penniman's door...
As a trade-in for a name upon the door
Peter thought about the words he just made up. They could go into the song somewhere.
Well, it's travel onto "maybe next year" 's places
As a trade-in for a name upon the door
Peter was once again stuck after those words. I'll think up more later, He thought.
Peter petted the horse for a little while. The horse was done drinking. Peter mounted it and rode towards town. He rode to the sheriff's office and tied the horse out front. He walked to the door and knocked before walking inside. There was a large man sitting behind a desk. He was leaning back in the seat with a star-shaped badge with Sheriff etched into it pinned to his chest.
"Um... Sir, can you tell the deputy, Mr. Vincent, that I brought his horse back," Peter said in a small squeak.
The sheriff adjusted his hat and sat up. "Who should I say you are?" He asked.
"Peter... Tork," Peter said softly and nervously.
The sheriff nodded. Peter retreated quickly out the door. The sheriff was intimidating. Vincent was at the door. He was smoking a pipe.
"See ya brought my horse back," He said.
"Yes, sir," Peter said.
Vincent laughed slightly. "You don't have ta call me sir," He said. "You can call me Gene, most everyone I like does."
"Yes, sir... I mean Gene," Peter said quickly. Vincent glance at the door.
"Ya met the Sheriff hmm," Vincent said.
Peter nodded.
"Good man, Sheriff Orbison is," Vincent said. "Been through a lot, but he's a good man. One of the best people I ever met."
Peter looked at the sheriff's door again.
"How's that girl you saved?" Vincent asked.
"I'm about to get her," Peter said.
Vincent nodded. He dumped the ashes out of his pipe and stepped on them. He opened the door of the sheriff's office.
"Goodbye, Gene," Peter said politely. It felt a little funny to say it.
Vincent laughed and walked into the office. Peter walked by the saloon. It wasn't open just yet, it was still very early. He walked to Richard Penniman's house. He knocked. This time the man that had lit the lamp opened the door.
"Mr. Penniman's asleep," He said. "I'll go get your young lady."
He shut the door. He came back about five minutes later with Aponi in his arms.
"Keep her off that leg for a few weeks," The man said.
Aponi had a splint on her leg. Peter took her from the man.
"Thank you, I'll have the money all together very soon," Peter said.
"It'll be fifty dollars," The man said.
"But yesterday..."
"He always does that. Says it's gonna be a lot then gets involved in the case and changes his mind halfway through," The man said. "Bring the original money just in case. Never know when he'll change his mind."
"Yes, sir," Peter said.
The man laughed slightly. "Yeah, whatever," He said. The man closed the door.
Peter walked off. "Mr. Penniman said I wouldn't be crippled," Aponi said.
Peter smiled. "That's good," He said.
Aponi leaned her head onto his chest and yawned. She fell asleep in his arms. Peter smiled at her peaceful sleeping face. He was glad there wasn't anyone on the streets yet to mess up this perfect moment. He walked with her back to the wagon.