Thousand Pieces of Gold

A boy on his way to dig for gold tumbled off the mountain, leading him to recuperate with Polly and Charlie. After the boy rests for two weeks, Charlie takes him to where he wanted to mine. When Charlie returns, they both realize that there will only be more prospectors, and they need to protect the ranch. They have their claims paperwork filled out but have yet to dig the 10-foot deep trench the law requires. They attempt to dig the trench, but the cold weather makes the ground difficult to dig into, and Charlie’s cough gets worse with exercise. Charlie soon gets sick, and Polly must tend to him constantly. Once he improves, she realizes that she must protect the farm, so she goes out to dig the trench on her own.

Polly takes Charlie to show him her completed work and tells him to go to Warrens to file the mining claim.

Polly considers the various types of miners she’s met through her time in the United States. She reflects on how she was scared when the mining claim hadn’t been filed, but now that it has been filed, she feels a deep sense of relief. All around them, gold mills are being built. In addition to all of the new prospectors flooding the area, they have two new neighbors, Charles Shepp and Pete Klinkhammer.

While walking around their property with their dog, Teddy, Charlie and Polly see a hawk carrying off a cougar cub. Curious and worried about the babies, they go to check it out if there are more cubs abandoned in the area.

Polly and Charlie discover a cougar cub and adopt her, naming her Amber. Shepp is very scared of Amber, but Polly loves her. Shepp suggests installing a telephone line between their two properties, which Polly thinks is silly. However, later Charlie argues that they should get a telephone installed because of his age, and, for the first time, he forces Polly to acknowledge his failing health. Realizing he is right, Polly agrees to install a telephone line.

Four years later, Polly gives some materials for Pete to take into Warrens. Charlie has been bedridden for the last month and is unable to go into town. Before he leaves, Pete reminds Polly that she can use the telephone if she needs him.

After Pete leaves, Polly makes some tea for Charlie and brings it to him in bed. He wakes up and shows her the photo he was looking at, which is Polly’s wedding picture. Polly laughs, remembering that she wore red undergarments because the color is considered a wedding color in China, but hid them so no one but she and Charlie could see. Suddenly, Charlie coughs up blood, and Polly realizes that her husband is very sick.

Later that night, Polly sits alone and is startled when she sees a flame and hears a dog howling. She realizes it is just Charlie lighting a lamp and Teddy barking. However, she breaks a mug, cutting her hand.

Charlie is getting progressively sicker and is no longer eating. Polly leaves him and Teddy to go fishing. She puts her feet in the water and falls asleep by the creek.

When Polly wakes up, she smells smoke and notices animals acting scared. As she rushes back to the house, she hears Teddy howling and horses neighing anxiously. She realizes the house is on fire and tries to figure out how to put it out but knows she will need help. Luckily, Shepp saw the fire and is rowing over from his side of the river. Despite the house being engulfed in flames, Polly rushes in to save Charlie and Teddy.

Teddy leads her to Charlie, who is trying desperately to find their marriage certificate and the mining claim to the ranch. He finds them, and then Shepp and Polly try to carry him and Teddy out of the house. While going down the stairs, Polly steps through one of the steps, leading to Teddy falling to his death in the flames. Shepp, Polly, and Charlie escape the fire.

Following the fire, Polly and Charlie stay in Shepp and Pete’s spare bedroom. Polly is wracked by guilt and wonders what would have happened if she had acted differently that day. Charlie is getting sicker, and every time he wakes up from sleeping, Polly reassures him that she got all of their important documents from the house. Polly wants to do everything in her power to save Charlie’s life, but he asks her not to and to let him go. She climbs into bed with him and holds him.

When Polly wakes up, she hears silence and realizes Charlie has died. She tells Charlie a story about two lovers who were separated and only got to see each other on the full moon. Outside, there is a full moon.

As family friends build Charlie’s coffin, Polly prepares food. Later, she goes outside to have Charlie’s funeral. As she watches her husband be buried, she thinks about her life with Charlie and everything she lost in the fire. She stops the men from finishing burying Charlie and insists on doing it herself. She tries to finish burying him, but eventually Shepp and Pete return to finish the job. She tells them that she plans to go to Warrens the next day.