Gilburn heard this account with terror.  He had never committed anything of this kind hitherto, and knew very well that if he once engaged he could never afterwards go back.  Wilson seemed not at all uneasy at his pause, but artfully introducing discourse on other subjects, plied him in the meanwhile with liquor, until he saw him pretty warm, and then resumed the story of his own adventures and of the facility of acquiring money when a man is but well stored with courage and has ever so little conduct.  This artifice unfortunately had its effect, Wilson’s conversation and the fumes of liquor prevailing so far upon Gilburn that, as he himself phrased it, he resolved at last upon business.

The day following, Gilburn provided himself with pistols, and removed his quarters to go and live with Wilson, who encouraged him with all the arguments he was able to stick to his new profession, and Gilburn in return swore he would live and die with him.  So at night they went out together in quest of adventures.  The road they took was towards Paddington.  A little after they were come into the fields, they attacked a gentleman and took from him eight shillings, with which Gilburn was very much pleased, though they had little luck after, so that they returned at last to their lodgings, weary and fatigued, and were obliged to mount guard the next morning.  When their guard was over, they were, as Mr. Gilburn expresses it in his last speech, as bare as a bird’s arse, so no time was to be lost, and accordingly that very night they made their second expedition.  Nobody coming in their way, Gilburn began to fret, and at last falling into a downright passion, swore he would rob the first man he met.  He was as good as his word, and the booty he got proved a tolerable provision for some days.

But guard-day drawing nigh again, Wilson told him there was no mounting without money, and the same methods were taken as formerly; but as the leagues by which men are united in villainy are liable to a thousand inconveniencies which are uneasily born, and yet hard to be remedied, so Wilson’s humours being very different from that of Gilburn, they soon began to differ about the money they acquired by plunder.  At last, coming one night very much tired and fatigued to a public-house where Wilson was acquainted, they called for some drink to refresh themselves, which when they had done, Gilburn was for dividing the money, himself standing in need of linen and other necessaries.  Wilson, on the other hand, was for having a bowl of punch, and words thereupon arose to such a height that at last they fell to fighting.  This quarrel was irreconcilable, and they absolutely parted company, though Gilburn unfortunately pursued the same road; and having robbed a gentleman on horseback of several yards of fine padusoy, he was shortly after apprehended and committed to Newgate.