Desert Gold tells the tale of Bill Curran, a young and opportunistic prospector seeking his fortune on the desert frontier in the late 1800s. After walking into a desolate mining town, Bill finds the solace of a local saloon. Once inside, he finds out from the bartender that the region is blessed with many bountiful and productive gold mines, but no miners have returned for the past six months. Rumors of an Apache curse had begun to circulate amongst the townsfolk and they have begun to fear the wrath of the vengeful native spirits who were said to haunt the desert mines. Not one to be scared by ghost stories, Bill determinedly sets off into the barren landscape in search of untold riches. Bill's bravado did not go unnoticed, however, causing the town trickster and bandit, Frankie Slater, to take notice and track Bill's movements through the desert in hopes of commandeering any stakes he might find. As Bill travels through the endless rock, brush and sand, he begins to stumble upon ancient petroglyphs, reminding him of the persistent and disconcerting native presence. When Bill finally arrives at the legendary Desert Queen mine, he makes a discovery, but not at all what he had expected.