J.D. believes he can step into his brother Tom's shoes as Adenville's most cunning young hustler after Tom departs for boarding school. Armed with his own "little brain" and a handful of Tom's tricks, he attempts to turn a profit by hiring the Jensen boys to do his chores for ten cents a week. His confidence quickly crumbles as his schemes fail, revealing he lacks Tom's natural flair for conniving. Yet when outlaws kidnap Frankie, his four-year-old adopted brother, J.D. discovers his own quiet resourcefulness and heart are unexpectedly powerful tools. He must navigate the crisis not with his brother's sharp wit, but with the unique strengths he's always underestimated.