As time passed, life on the island became more difficult for the small group. They had been on the island for eight months and had not seen a ship since they arrived. The young man became depressed and died. Shortly after his death, Marguerite gave birth to a child. She missed her true love, but she was a very tough young lady. She took over his share of the chores and cared for her baby and old servant. While she went about her daily work, Marguerite kept constant watch for ships, but none came.

The small group of castaways was managing to survive until things again changed for the worst. This time, both the servant and the child died. For a time, Marguerite nearly lost her courage. However, she was determined to beat the odds and lived alone on the island for more than a year before spotting several fishing ships. Marguerite ran to the beach and lit a fire, and began to run up and down the shore, shouting and waving. The fishermen saw her, but thought she was a demon. They were too afraid to go close to shore.