Old Nathan

FIVE YEARS AFTER 
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 
MAGIC IS LOOSE IN THE BACKWOODS

The forces of evil are poised to prey on the folk of the hamlets and hollows: witches, demons, and red-handed men--but first they'll have to overcome Old Nathan the Wizard.

He doesn't claim much for his magical powers, but they're real enough for what they are--and besides, he hasn't forgotten how to use his long flintlock rifle ....

Enter the gritty, realistic world of Old Nathan, a backwoodsman who talks to animals and says he'll face The Devil himself-and who in the end will have to face The Devil in very fact.

"David Drake is one of those rare authors who seems capable of switching from one mode of writing to another, hard science, near future political thriller to high fantasy, with a smooth meshing of gears."
-Science Fiction Chronicle

Cover art by Larry Elmore

Paperback

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

First printing, October 1991

Distributed by Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

Printed in the United States of AmericaA signed, numbered limited-edition print of the artwork is available from the artist at Elmore Studios, P.O. Box 358, Leitchfield, KY 42754.

ISBN: 0-671-72084-8

Copyright © 1991 by David Drake

"The Bull" previously appeared in Whispers Magazine, Whole Number 23-34, October 1987, edited by Stuart Schiff.

"The Fool" previously appeared in Whispers VI, copyright (c) 1987 by Stuart Schiff.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.

A Baen Books Original
Baen Publishing Enterprises
P.O. Box 1403
Riverdale, NY 10471
https://www.baen.com

Production by Windhaven Press
Auburn, NH

Electronic version by WebWrights
http://www.webwrights.com

DEDICATION

To my late friend

Manly Wade Hampton Wellman

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Among the people who made this book possible are my wife Jo; my parents, Z
Earle and Maxine Drake; Janet Morris; and Manly himself. My thanks to all of them.