Sighting the enemy about noon, Du Guay Trouin immediately attacked the _Falcon_, and with his first few broadsides inflicted immense damage, sending her maintopmast by the board, and smashing her mainyard. Leaving her for a time, he laid his ship on board the _Nonsuch_, the two ships exchanging a hot fire from great guns and small arms the while. The Frenchmen discharged a number of grenades on the decks of the _Nonsuch_, and then the boarders leaped across; but fire broke out on the after part of the English ship, and raged with such fury that Du Guay Trouin was compelled to recall his men and disengage his vessel. Seeing the flames nearly extinguished, he closed again; but he was premature, for the fire once more flared up, and caught his own maintopsail and foresail. While both ships were busy tackling the fire night came on, and they fell apart, repairing damages on both sides. At daybreak Du Guay Trouin renewed his attack upon the _Nonsuch_; but just as he was laying her aboard her fore and mainmasts fell with a crash, and he was compelled once more to sheer off--this time however, with the certainty that she was his. Seeing the _Falcon_ making all sail in the endeavour to escape, he steered for her, and very quickly obtained her submission; meanwhile, the _Nonsuch_ had lost her remaining mast, and was an absolute wreck, sorely damaged also in her hull. Thus the determined young French captain had things all his own way; and he thoroughly deserved his success, which was the outcome of fine seamanship, backed by good gunnery and indomitable courage. The captain of the _Nonsuch_ was killed. The court-martial which was subsequently held on the surviving officers found that he had not made adequate preparation for fighting, and so was overcome by a considerably inferior force, for the _Nonsuch_ and the _François_ were about equal. All the vessels engaged were very badly damaged, and, a gale of wind springing up immediately after the action, their position became very hazardous. The _Falcon_ was recaptured by four Dutch privateers; the _Nonsuch_ and _François_ with difficulty managed to reach port. On hearing of this achievement the King of France sent Du Guay Trouin a sword of honour, and his name was in every mouth. He sailed next with a squadron under the Marquis de Nesmond which captured the English 70-gun ship the _Hope_, and subsequently he and a consort took three East Indiamen, with cargoes valued at about one million sterling. After having been, to his great delight and exultation, presented to the king in Paris, he fitted out the _Nonsuch_, under the name _Sanspareil_, with an armament of 42 guns, and cruised off the coast of Spain. On this cruise there occurred an incident which was very characteristic of Du Guay Trouin's presence of mind and audacity.