This is the original 1928 story of Hunting for Hidden Gold: The Hardy Boys Book 5. The book has undergone one major revision since its original publication in 1928, resulting in two significantly different stories bearing the same title.

Fenton Hardy requests his sons, Frank and Joe, to help him solve a case of stolen gold in Montana. The gang who stole the gold attempts to thwart their train ride from their home in Bayport on Barmet Bay on the Atlantic coast to Lucky Bottom, Montana. After finally arriving, the boys face more trouble with the gang as well as a mine shaft cave-in, a Rocky Mountain Blizzard, a pack of wolves, and finally Black Pepper, the leader of the gang. On top of all that, the boys needed to discover who was the first thief and who are the rightful owners of the gold. In the end, the boys are declared "Real detectives, both of 'em."

Much has changed in America since 1928. The modern listener may be delighted with the warmth and innocence of the characters but uncomfortable with the racial, social, and sexist terms and stereotypes. As such, this book is a part of our heritage, a window into our real past.