When he had finished the picture—­and Miss Davis said he had done it very nicely—­it was time for the writing lesson.

“I think we will try to use ink to-day,” the teacher said.  “We will take great pains and not hurry.  And please be careful of your fingers.”

Whenever Miss Davis tried to teach her class to make an “M” or a “T” or some other letter in ink, it was strange, but more ink seemed to get on their fingers than anywhere else!  But Miss Davis said they would learn in good time and that she had inked her fingers, too, when she was a little girl and was learning to write.

Sunny Boy took his seat to be ready for the writing lesson, and the first thing he saw was the lead general lying on his back.  He had fallen off his horse!

“Though I don’t see how he could fall off,” argued Sunny Boy to himself.  “He screws on the little screw in the saddle.  I wonder if somebody unscrewed him!”

Carleton Marsh was beginning to hand out the papers for the writing lesson and Jessie Smiley took the box of pens from Miss Davis.  It was her turn to distribute them to the children this week.

“I’ll bet Jessie did it,” said Sunny Boy, but not out loud.  “I’ll bet she unscrewed the general while I was at the blackboard.”

Sunny Boy knew that Jessie was mischievous and he also knew that she could not keep her little fingers off anything that might be lying on his desk.  She had mortified him very much the first week he came to school by making his camel squeak in class, and it would be just like her to play with the lead soldier when Sunny Boy was at the board and Miss Davis was busy helping some pupil.

“I’ll bet Jessie did it,” said Sunny Boy again to himself.

Just then Jessie looked at him.  She smiled, an impish, naughty little smile, and then Sunny Boy knew he had guessed right.  Jessie had unscrewed the lead soldier general.

“I’ll just put him back,” whispered Sunny Boy, putting out a cautious hand toward the soldier.  He wasn’t going to play with him, he argued, but Miss Davis might call it playing, if she saw him.

“Here’s your pen,” said Jessie suddenly.

Sunny Boy jumped a little, for he had not heard her come up to his desk.  His blouse sleeve brushed again the lead general, and what do you think happened?  Splash!  Down into the inkwell on Sunny Boy’s desk went that beautiful soldier, down out of sight in the messy ink!

Jessie looked startled, but she did not say anything.  She walked on with her box of pens.  Perhaps she thought it was her fault for unscrewing the lead soldier general, but Jessie did not like to blame herself for anything.

“This morning you may draw the initial of your first name,” announced Miss Davis.  “And then you may go over it in ink.  I will come around and help you, if you need help.”