Shadowed Gold by Alice Fox Parry

There was no doubt about the awkwardness of their position, and the more the team thought of it the less they liked it. By a fortuitous combination of circumstances they had become far more deeply involved in the mountain tragedy than they had believed possible. Allan bitterly regretted that he had allowed himself to be influenced by Valerie's childish love of romance, and had not handed over the papers entrusted to his care by the dying man.

They argued about it for several days with little definite result. The gold discovery was undoubtedly theirs, and premature revelation with its attendant publicity would inevitably have the effect of opening the field to Gardiner and his gang, who were obviously on the same trail.