The Performer took the stage, little more than some planks propped up on barrels set in the yard of the saloon. His audience this evening was a dozen miners and a few curious townsfolk, the same as the last town he’d passed through yesterday.
He did his usual act, telling stories and sharing news from around the world. He recited famous soliloquies from Shakespeare and Marlowe.
Most of the crowd barely noticed. But there were a couple that he reached. He saw the flame light behind their eyes, and that made the hard travel and sleeping rough all worth it.

“Tragedy and Comedy” by Tim Green aka atoach is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0