The Sawdust Pact

The carnival manager declared they only needed one dwarf for the sideshow act. The rule was simple: the shorter man stays. The two performers made a grim pact: they would measure themselves at dawn, and the taller one would end his own life. The blind dwarf was already noticeably shorter, practically ensuring his victory. Yet, hours before sunrise, the blind man was found dead by his own hand in his wagon. Beneath his dangling feet, fresh sawdust blanketed the floorboards. Why did he do it?