SEASON TWO
1966 - 1967
#37 - "Any Way the Wind Blows"
The four Rangers are assigned to track down some elusive bank robbers who have hit three towns. When Erik checks the security of the bank in Panacea, the banker assures him they don't need Rangers to make their bank safe. However, a check of the vault shows the robbers have entered through the ceiling and made off with the vault's contents. Erik becomes suspicious of a circus which is touring the area and joins it as a magician, romancing the comely female tiger tamer as part of his cover.
Tolliver, the owner of the circus, has been using his balloon and the talents of his circus performers to rob banks. He cases the banks by posing in disguise as a wealthy depositor, who must assure himself that his large sum of cash (the proceeds of the previous robberies) will be safe. He is suspicious of Erik, but believes they would be better off to have him where they can watch him. Chad, Joe and Reese inspect the site of the fifth robbery, the Bank of Euphoria. Joe finds what look like moccasin tracks below the hole in the roof through which the robbers entered. When they find out a circus was in town, they decide to check it out.
When Chad, Joe and Reese find Erik in Eve's wagon, they drag him off on the pretense he's under suspicion as the bank robber. He advises them that the owner of the circus is pulling off the robberies by taking the circus in the direction the wind blows in order to use his balloon to take the money away. He gives Chad a map showing wind direction. While Reese and Joe search the rest of the wagons, Chad assigns himself to do a thorough search of Eve's wagon. Eve decides their best bet is to wrap Chad around her little finger, an easy task. She steals the map. Tolliver change his intended target.
While Joe and Reese guard the bank in Fan Tan, the Euchre bank is robbed. While Erik is camped out waiting for the balloon to land, his bedroll is shot up in an attempt on his life. Believing Erik has been killed, Eve has second thoughts about their misdeeds. Tolliver decides to take one last bank, the one in Dry Creek.
The banker opens the vault at gunpoint while the circus strongman separates the bars on the window so the acrobats can hand in suitcases for the loot. However, Erik is waiting in the  vault, gun drawn. Joe is waiting outside to throw a knife in the back of the man at the window with the gun. During the gunplay that ensues, Eve comes to Erik's rescue.
Joe takes the remaining robbers to jail. Chad and Reese wait at the spot where Erik told them the balloon would come down. The only thing that comes down is a note wrapped around a rock from Erik telling them to head back to Laredo where he will join them eventually. And love from Eve. Once again, Erik has bested Chad in their competition for the fairer sex and ended the episode in the arms of a villainess.
NiteOwl Review: A silly episode, but the use of a first season writer and producer made the tone slightly less silly than many of the other second season episodes. This would appeal to Robert Wolder fans as he bests Chad with the lady and has the most screen time. We liked seeing cocky Chad lose out to Erik. Chad's occasional overestimation of his ability to charm all women was one of his more endearing attributes. And seeing his bubble burst was always fun.
Tolliver and the beauteous Eve
Eve finds Erik in her bed
Reese, Chad and Joe at the crime scene
Chad meets Eve
Chad working out the plot
Eve working on Chad
Chad working on Eve
Reese and Joe guarding the bank
Erik and Chad figuring the next bank
Opening the vault
at gun point
Suprise!
A bad guy just before he
gets Joe's knife in his back
A message for Chad
He's lost the girl to Erik
Original air date Oct 28, 1966
Directed by John English
Written by John McGreevey

Regular Cast
Neville Brand as Reese Bennett
Peter Brown as Chad Cooper
William Smith as Joe Riley
Robert Wolders as Erik Hunter
Phil Carey as Capt. Parmalee

Guest Cast
Michael Evans as Tolliver
Melodie Johnson as Eve
Tiger Joe Marsh as Hercules
Jay Della as Tope
Mike Wagner as Soames
Bill Quinn as Warburton
Harry Harvey, Sr. as Strother
Melville Ruick as Prentiss
Official Peter Brown Fan Site