Sentence:  Isaac Pitt , one of the men from Lincoln , had taken a musket ball in his belly ; and though he had found the strength to run with us , <WSD>now</WSD> he collapsed and lay on the ground , dying , the Reverend holding his head and wiping his hot brow . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events