Throughout his life Travis had succumbed to the evils of wagering, eventually taking to earning his living through games of chance. In the frontier western town where he lived, there was no lack of opportunity for a man in this profession.
When he died, it was something of a surprise that his funeral was well-attended by his professional friends and acquaintances--a rough and ready crowd if ever there was one.
The preacher, taken aback by so many who had never darkened the door of the church before, determined to deliver an emotional service designed to touch the better natures of the congregants.
In his eulogy, he began with an allusion to scripture with the words,
"Travis is not dead; he only sleeps."
From somewhere in the assembly, an elderly voice called,
"I've got a hundred that says he's dead .