Why is the man by himself?

The man had taken a different route scouting logging conditions and planned to meet up with the rest of the guys later that evening.

He was bound for the old claim on the left fork of Henderson Creek, where the boys were already. They had come over across the divide from the Indian Creek country, while he had come the roundabout way to take a look at the possibilities of getting out logs in the spring from the islands in the Yukon.