The Wetlands
E.B. Root's prologue starts with him sitting on the back of a lorry with some kids on his way to New Orleans. The kids are fascinated with the alligator skins he has with him (that he intends to sell in NO). The kids ask pester him to tell them how he killed the gators and he finally gives in. E.B. tells them how he was in the marshlands hunting for the big gator he knew was hiding in the murky waters deep in the swamp. This gator hid deep in the swamp, so deep actually, that sometimes one could run into these ancient, black stones jutting menacingly from the waters. Some were standing on tiny isles or skerries. Plenty of old wives' tales and talk about strange creatures regarding those stones.