Those double-crossing folks down at Four Corners are hornswoggled by experts when a pair of tiny strangers, called Mr. Short and Mrs. Long, trick greedy John Barrow, an adult, into swapping hero Pinch's and friend Charley's valuable muskrat hides for a sack full of dog fur. An accomplice masquerading as a lawman impedes their capture, and the trio actually makes off with Pinch's father's fine stack of hides--which probably won't be recouped even though the rascals are captured further on down the bayou. Meanwhile, though, the bickering Four Comers families learn to share during hard times and the broad yuks flow as thick and fast as ever. Readers will be wise to the bald-faced con artists straight off, but that doesn't take all the suspense out of Pinch's scary-funny encounters.