Perhaps "medicine" was viewed in the same context that we might view a bulletproof vest; reassuring to have and disappointing to tragic when it failed, but not necessarily a game-breaker.
Another factor to consider in those "failed medicine" situations is that very often, the members of a war party had been lifelong friends or at least acquaintances, having been classmates since Comanche elementary school or whatever, heck, many of the older guys had been their teachers.
Birdwatcher
Without a doubt Indians put a lot of stock in what their "medicine" told them and often times this meant departing quickly if things started to turn in a battle. I was reading recently about a large number of Cheyennes going up against a group of soldiers. The Cheyenne medicine told them to advance on foot against the mounted soldiers (crazy I know) and they would win a big victory. As the on foot Cheyennes approached the soldiers, the soldiers were ordered to draw sabers and get ready to charge. When the soldiers drew their sabers it completely took the Cheyennes by surprise(their medicine had said nothing about sabers, only guns they would be facing) and something that instantly rattled their faith in their medicine for the day and being successful in the upcoming battle. Within seconds the entire line of Cheyennes instantly broke and retreated as fast as they could. The charging soldiers managed to kill several, but most likely not even a fraction of what would have died had they continued their advance on foot against the soldiers.
I agree with you Birdwatcher about Indians calling off the fight when they knew that someone would have to answer to the slain warriors family and friends back at camp. In Robert Utley's book about Sitting Bull, he tells of Sitting Bull having a huge advantage in a battle against some soldiers, but calling off the fight when a relative was wounded. Sitting Bull knew as a leader that winning the battle was not worth risking any loss of life to any close friends or relatives as this could make things back at camp very tense and it was simply easier to pull out before anyone else got wounded or killed. This was probably the reason that many times unless backed into a corner, Indians simply left the field.
